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pulled  them  out  of  the  pile  two  hours  since,  and 
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^,< 


J  :: 


THE 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS 


Ibentura    nf    (Haptnin    Ipencer, 


HIS  HORSE  AND  DOG. 


BY  MRS.  R.  LEE, 

ARTHOR   Of    "  AFRICAN    CRUSOES,"   "  ANECDOTES    OF   BIBDBy" 
"ANECDOTES   OF   ANIMALS,"    <fco. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BOSTON : 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS. 

NEW  YORK: 

l^EE,  SllEPARD  it  DLLLINGIIAM,  49  GREENE  STREET. 
1873, 


I^^O^Ol. 


PREFACE 


The  favourable  reception  given  to  the  "  African  Cru- 
Boes"  has  prompted  an  Australian  wanderer  to  recite 
his  adventures;  and  as  the  natural  productions  of  the 
newer  world  are  even  more  extraordinary  than  those 
longer  discovered,  it  is  the  object  of  the  present  work 
rather  to  dwell  upon  them,  than  on  the  fast  increasiug 
riches  ot  the  settlements. 

The  author  is  desirous  to  express  her  gratitude  for 
the  assistance  which  she  has  received  from  private 
sources,  and  from  the  admirable  travels  which  have 
le*a  written  on  the  same  subject. 


576509 

LISRARf 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

Captain  Spencer  recommended  to  leave  India  on  account  of 
his  health — Hires  a  Malay  Schooner — Embarks  with  his  horse 
and  dog — Cruises  on  the  outskirts  of  the  Indian  Archipelago — 
Converts  a  Triton  Shell  into  a  tea-kettle,  and  a  Clamp  shell 
into  a  cup — A  bird  caught,  which  Captain  Spencer  names  Char- 
lie, and  teaches  to  speak — Meets  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Indian  seas — The  Organ-fish — The  Cuttle-fish — The  Diodon — 
Sea  snakes — Captain  Spencer,  not  gaining  strength,  determines 
to  go  to  Australia — Touches  at  Timor  to  take  in  supplies — De- 
scription of  Coepang — Excursion  ashore — A  hunt — Timoree 
traffic — Departure  from  Timor 19 


CHAPTER  II. 

Arrival  on  the  northern  coast  of  Australia — Various  sea  ani- 
mals— Albatross — Tropic  and  Frigate  birds — Touch  at  an  isl- 
and, see  natives — Go  back  to  the  continent — Enter  a  river — 
Catch  a  crocodile — The  country  on  fire — See  a  Dugong — Return 
from  the  river — The  Malays  catch  Trepang — Captain  Spencer 
goes  ashore — Finds  a  curious  lizard — All  go  to  an  island  to  cure 
Trepang — See  natives — Examine  their  rafts — Oysters  found — 
Playfulness  of  a  Whale  at  sea — Flies — Natives  bring  a  young 
man  for  them  to  set  his  arm — Captain  Spencer  performs  the 
operation — Description  of  natives — Charlie  and  Tiger  (the 
norse)  frighten   them — Natives  dance — The  echooner  goes  to 

(iii) 


«V  CONTENTS. 

PAOl 

another  island — Captain  Spencer  finds  an  Eagle's  nest,  and 
various  birds — Goes  ashore — Eagle  shot — Captain  Spencer 
staj's  all  night — Violent  hurricane  and  storm — Schooner  lost — 
Malays  crushed  by  falling  of  cliflf — Captain  Spencer  enters  a 
cave  with  Charlie,  Tiger,  and  the  dog  Gipsy 81 


CHAPTER  III. 

Captain  Spencer  determines  to  start  for  Swan  River — Se- 
cures objects  from  the  wreck — Running  fish — Attack  from 
natives — Starts'for  Swan  Rivar — A  log  of  wood  converted  into 
a  shovel — A  Hawk's-bill  Turtle — Natives  touch  the  baggage — 
Frightened  away — Natives  on  shore  taste  pickled  Oysters — Put 
on  Captain  Spencer's  trousers — Insects — Birds — Impression  of 
a  cloven  foot  with  a  spur — Flight  of  Parrakeets — Scrub — Cap- 
tain Spencer  makes  a  grass  hat — Albatross — Haze  and  mira-ge 
— Berries — Snakes — Porpoises — Sea-shells — Meteor —  Gannets    67 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Captain  Spencer  ascends  a  ravine — Flying  Foxes — Green 
Ants — Hawkfc,  Pelicans,  Parrakeets,  and  Cranes — Mullet^ — Por- 
poises—  Pandanus — Nutmegs — Pigeons,  Ac. — Mosquitoes — 
Sand-flies — Hears  natives — Dangerous  attack — Captain  Spencer 
kills  a  man — He  is  wounded  by  a  spear — Beautiful  plain  and 
lake — Water-lilies,  &c. — Residence  on  the  top  of  a  hillock — 
Native  graves — Sees  Kangaroos — Tiger  loses  a  shoe — Oats^ 
Kangaroos — Skin  prepared — Mocassins  made — Frilled  Lizard 
— Gipsy  nearly  killed  by  a  Python — Kites  and  other  birds — 
Cranes — Bitterns — Owls,  &c. — Sow-thistle — Falcon — Shrike — 
Cuckoo — Captain  Spencer  rides  to  native  huts — Spear-heads — 
Circles  of  stones — Bower-birds — Gourd — Cray-fish  —  Captain 
Spencer  rides  over  the  hills — Caves  like  temples — Paintings — 
Vampire  Bats — Carved  head — Kangaroo — Gouty  tree — Vit«x 
—Crabs — Reed — Beetles — Fire  flies — Storm — Provisions  col- 
lected for  journey — The  grass  hat — A  fresh  start 93 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PAOI 

Snako — Huts — Bark  bedsteads — Ovens — Basalt — ^Lnxnriant 
pass — Gorge — Another  gouty-stemmed  tree — Captain  Spencer 
desires  to  go  to  the  interior — Scrub — Fishes — Gum-trees — 
Large  fish — Birds — Flying  Opossums — Insects — Fusanus — Ca- 
suarina — Dragon-fly — Sun  to  the  north — Tiger's  hoofs  worn — 
Tiger's  socks — Mesembryanthemum — Jerboas — Bustard — Na- 
tive grave — Melaleuca — Lark — Natives  and  dogs — Dogs  rush 
on  Gipsy — Captain  Spencer  saves  the  dog — Natives  equipped 
for  war — Captain  Spencer  separated  from  his  arms — Dances  to 
conciliate  natives — Reaches  his  fire-arms — Frightens  the  na- 
tives— Tiger  comes  up,  and  they  are  still  more  frightened — Na- 
tives run  off — Tombs — Opossums — Magnetic  hills — River — 
Black  Swans — Zamia — Captain  Spencer  poisoned  by  nuts — 
Conduct  of  his  companions — Recovers — Yams — Moths — Pep- 
permint— Grass-trees — Natives  and  dogs  come  upon  Captain 
Spencer  when  cleaning  arms — He  frightens  them  away — Un- 
inhabited villages — Yam-grounds — Howls  of  dogs — Splendid 
Pelargonium — Tiger  attacked  by  a  venomous  Snake — In  saving 
the  horse  Captain  Spencer  is  bitten — Almost  dies — Recovers — 
Natives  blow  at  him — Hen-Turkey — Native  hut  for  watching 
prey — Birds — Directs  his  way  south — Water  scarce — Tiger 
drinks  all  from  one  can — Protese 131 


CHAPTER  VL 

Bed  of  a  river — Native  women — Captain  Spencer  finds  wa- 
ter by  digging — Diamond  birds — Charlie  frightens  birds  away — 
Captain  Spencer  takes  yams  from  women — Gives  a  horse- 
shoe in  exchange — Conduct  of  the  natives  with  the  horse- 
ehoe — Kangaroo — Howling  of  native  dogs — Captain  Spencer 
eats  a  dog — Holes  of  dirty  water — Gipsy  falls  into  one  of  them 
— Comes  out  covered  with  mud — Birds  driven  away  by  Charlie 
— Snake  under  saddle — A  cry  of  distress — Finds  the  native 
whose  arm  had  been  broken  and  lamed  by  a  thorn  in  the  foot 


VI  CONTENTS. 

pia> 

—Captain  Spencer  saves  him — Kinchela,  name  of  native — 
Speaks  Malay — Tells  his  history — Conversation  between  the 
Englishman  and  Australian — Captain  Spencer  goes  to  a  well — 
Kinchela  cooks — Discourse  about  Boyl-yas — Kinchela  afraid 
of  Tiger — Opinion  of  Captain  Spencer  among  natives — Kinchela 
ignorant  of  way  to  Perth — Promises  to  take  Captain  Spencer 
to  white  men — Asks  so  earnestly  to  go  with  him  that  no  refusal 
can  be  given — Grubs  in  Grass-tree — Frogs — Charlie  interferes 
with  Kinchela's  lesson  in  English — Scarcity  of  clothes 164 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

Kinchela  still  afraid  of  Tiger — Zamia  trees — Kinchela's  first 
lesson  in  honesty — Bed  of  a  small  lake — Improved  cuisine — 
Australians  cannot  boil — Fire-stick — Wild  fowl — Birds — Kan- 
garoo caught  in  Kinchela's  fashion — Kinchela  greedy — Reflec- 
tions of  Captain  Spencer — Gums — Manna — Floss  silk — Bee. — 
Kinchela's  memory  of  words — Cold  rain — Kinchela  catches 
Opossums — Kinchela  makes  a  cloak — Burnt  grass — Catch 
animals  by  burning  scrub — Kinchela  mends  spear — Kinchela 
talks  of  bad  black  men — Magellanic  clouds — Higher  hills — 
Wallabies — Talperos — Emu — Emu  oil — Cross  the  mountains — 
Flies — Iguana — Kinchela's  fear  of  a  telescope — Beautiful  sce- 
nery— Flowers — Lake — Ipomea — Everlastings — Nest  of  Leipoa 
— Banksias  —  Finches  —  Stork  —  Dragon-fly —  Beetle — Fly — 
Grubs — Captain  Spencer  carries  Gipsy  everywhere  on  his 
knapsack — Native  dogs — Wombat — Snake — Kingia  —  Grevil- 
lia — Inga — Eugenia,  Ac. — Birds  and  insects — Buteo — Birds — 
Scenery — Pieces  of  crystal  and  agate — Flowers — Mackintosh 
given  to  Kinchela — Fungus — Natives  frightened  away  by  gun 
—Python — Arrive  at  the  ocean 181 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

Captain  Spencer  makes  a  signal  to  a  vessel — Boat  comes 
uhore — Captain  of  the  vessel  comes  in  a  boat — Offers  assist- 


CONTENTS.  VII 

FAOI 

»nce — Captain  Spencor  and  his  companions  go  on  board  the 
French  whaling  ship,  the  Marie — Life  on  board  the  Marie — Na- 
tive feast  off  a  stranded  whale — Natives  pay  a  visit  to  the 
Marie — Kinchela  Spoiled — Charlie  learns  French — Captain 
Spencer  leaves  the  Marie — Scrub — Tiger  very  happy — Cran- 
berry— Kangaroo — Kinchela  has  a  fit  of  gluttony — Cliffs — Re- 
turn to  the  sea-shore — Fishes — Musical  Teredo — Salsolae — 
Eryngium  —  Fruit  —  Plants,  &c. — Reptiles  —  Birds  —  Crabs — 
Kinchela  ill-humoured 229 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Spinifex — Bark  of  Gum-tree — Excrescence  on  tree — 'Well— 
Rhagodia — Water  scarce — Water  from  Gum-trees — Hot  wind- 
Dew —  Salt  lake — Salsola — Mirage — Gum-tree  roots — Emigra- 
ting birds — Cold  wind  and  frost — Hakea — Curious  stones — 
Absence  of  animal  and  vegetable  life — Sand,  quartz,  iron- 
Scorching  sun — No  water,  no  food — Distress  of  Captain  Spen- 
cer— Dog  and  horse  suffer  much — Tiger  appears  to  die — Sor- 
row of  Captain  Spencer — Kinchela  lies  down  to  die — Captain 
Spencer  gives  himself  up  for  lost,  and  becomes  insensible — A 
shower  in  the  night  somewhat  revives  him — A  Pigeon  shows 
the  way  to  some  water — Captain  Spencer  rouses  himself  and 
reaches  the  place,  drinks,  and  takes  some  to  his  companions — 
All  go  to  the  well — Kinchela  and  Gipsy  eat  Kangaroo  skin  and 
fall  asleep — While  sitting  with  his  face  between  his  hands  Cap- 
tain Spencer's  hat  is  taken  off — Sees  Tiger  with  it  in  his  mouth 
— Joy — Rest  three  days — Mountains — Country  improves — Co- 
pious rain — Old  Man 267 


CHAPTER  X. 

Plenty  of  food — ^Yellow  bean — Rough  ground — Emus — Fisb> 
Ing — Natives — Painted  man — Birds — Man  and  his  wife — Cap- 
tain Spencer  rescues  nets  from  flames — Rivers — Kinchela  recog- 
nises the  country — Finds  a  dead  Kangaroo — Kinchela  not  al- 
lowed to  take  it — Building  rat — Cold — Encampment  of  natives 


Vm  CONTENTS. 

PAOl 

— Kinchela's  friends — Captain  Spencer  well  received  by  them 
for  his  sake — Captain  Spencer  consents  to  stay  the  winter  with 
them — The  natives  build  him  a  house — Supply  him  with  provi- 
sions— Two  men,  Warrup  and  Ugat,  superior  to  the  rest — Opin- 
ion of  Tiger — Description  of  natives — A  new  tribe  arrives — 
Their  reception — Captain  Spencer  taken  for  the  ghost  of  a  rela- 
tion— Corobbery — Dance  of  hill  tribe — Warrup  and  Ugat  talk 
of  native  customs  to  their  guest — New  sorts  of  food — Native 
manufactures 2SS 


CHAPTER  XL 

River  overflows — Different  modes  of  fishing  —  Cooking — 
Frogs — Cray-fish — Tortoises — Birds — Wind — Hatchet  missing, 
and  restored — Description  of  sorcerers — Sorcerers  come  to  cure 
a  boy — Restrictions  concerning  food — Native  laws  and  cus- 
toms— Women — Quarrel  and  combat — Boomerang — Large  Kan- 
garoo hunt — Tribe  goes  away  and  steals  a  young  woman — 
Preparations  for  war — War-song — Departure  in  pursuit  of  the 
enemy — Captain  Spencer  follows — Encounter  of  the  tribes — 
Captain  Spencer  fires,  frightens,  and  pursues  the  guilty  tribe — 
The  young  woman  found  bleeding  to  death — Taken  home  to  be 
eaten — Captain  Spencer  goes  away 314 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Return  to  the  river — Beautiful  scrub — Bauhinia — Marjoram 
-— Ornithorynchus — Natives  become  more  frequent — Watching 
necessary — Another  native  funeral — Beautiful  country — Casua- 
rinse — Chirping  bird — Sorrel — Wood-ducks — Spiny  Ant-eater 
— Women  carrying  dead  bodies — Old  woman — Flowers — Herd 
of  wild  horses — Blue  mountains — Overlander — Cattle  cross  the 
river — Meeting  of  Captain  Spencer  and  Mr.  St.  John — Captain 
Spencer  entertains  the  Overlander — Conversation  between  the 
two  gentlemen — Astonishment  at  Charlie — Miners  of  Adelaide 
— Murray  river — Arrive  at  the  river  Darling — Character  of  na- 
tives— Mr.  St.  John  gives  introductions  to  Captain  Spencer 
—The  friends  part  with  regret 341 


CONTENTS.  U 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Captain  Spencer  romaTitic — Birds — Native — Captain  Spencer 
Batches  him,  and  relieves  his  hunger — Fairy-like  plains — Bull 
coraes  down  the  hills,  and  gentlemen  on  horseback  after  him — 
Insects,  and  their  webs  and  nests — Harry  Blunt  attacks  Cap- 
tain Spencer — Harry  caught  and  overcome  ;  his  companions 
stunned — Captain  Spencer  kind  to  the  bush-ranger — Captain 
Spencer  goes  on — Forest  flower — Wooden  pear — Lemons — Fly- 
ing foxes — Native  cherry — Beautiful  plants — Green  frogs — 
Lizards — Out-stations — Shepherds — Laughing  Jackass — Robin 
— Knife-grinder — Fish  and  its  nest — Storm — Sorcerers  make 
storms — Pine  forest — Plants — Metamorphosis  of  beetle — Head 
keeper's  station — Captain  Spencer  hospitably  received — Tall 
black  man's  history — Harry  Blunt's  visits — Head  keeper  and 
wife  very  kind  and  hospitable — Untidy  and  deserted  stations — 
Deserted  townships — Ascend  mountains — Meet  drays — Ants — 
Come  to  the  river — Arrival  at  Mr.  Onslow's  farms 374 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Description  of  Mr.  Onslow's  farm — Cordial  reception  of  Cap- 
tain Spencer — Clothes  supplied— Conversations  about  Abori- 
gines— Mr.  Onslow  wishes  for  Kinchela  to  enter  his  service — 
Kinchela  refuses— Dingoes,  sheep,  cattle— Mrs.  Onslow's  gar- 
den— Hunt  stray  cattle — Wayside  inn — Captain  Spencer's  cour- 
age and  nerve — Tiger's  good  behaviour — Letter  from  stock- 
keeper  Richardson,  describing  an  interview  with  Harry  Blunt 
■ — Endeavours  to  persuade  Captain  Spencer  to  settle  in  Aus- 
tralia— Conversation  with  Mr.  Onslow — Description  of  woods 
— Mare  kills  a  foal — English  plants  spring  up  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  cattle — Tarantula — Native  cat — Adventure  of  the 
pumpkins — Parting — Mr.  Onslow  goes  to  Sydney  with  Captain 
Spencer — Kinchela  rides  with  them — Mrs.  Onslow's  courage 
when  attacked  by  natives — Arrival  at  Sydney — Charlie — At- 


X  CONTENTS. 

tempt  of  Gipsy,  Tiger,  and  Charlie  to  accompany  their  master 
— Harry  Blunt  taken — Captain  Spencer  obtains  a  mitigation 
of  his  sentence — Harry  afterwards  becomes  a  faithful  servant 
to  Mr.  Onslow — Captain  Spencer  sends  presents  to  all  his 
friends — Arrival  of  all  the  travellers  in  Bombay — Letter  from 
lir.  George  On  slow  about  the  Goldmines ^...^ iSt 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Captain  Spencer  recommended  to  leave  India  on  acconTit  of  Mg 
health — Hires  a  Malay  schooner — Embarks  with  his  horse  and 
dog — Cruises  on  the  outskirts  of  the  Indian  Archipelago — Con- 
verts a  Triton  shell  into  a  tea-kettle,  and  a  Clamp  shell  into  a 

cup A  bird  caught,  which  Captain  Spencer  names  Charlie,  and 

teaches  to  speak — Meets  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  Indian  seas 

The  Organ-fish — The  Cuttle-fish — The  Diodon— Sea  snakes^ 

Captain  Spencer  not  gaining  strength,  determines  to  go  to  Aus- 
tralia— Touches  at  Timor  to  take  in  supplies — Description  of 
Coepang — Excursion  ashore — A  hunt — Timoree  traffic — Depar- 
ture from  Timor. 

"  Really,  Spencer,  your  constitution,  after  the 
late  campaign,  requires  some  change,  and  you 
must  for  a  time  leave  India.  Why  linger,  when 
you  know  that  there  is  a  necessity  for  going  ?" 

Such  were  the  observations  of  Dr.  Dynes  to 
Captain  Spencer  of  the  — th  regiment  of  Bombay 
Native  Infantry,  who  pettishly  replied,  that  "he 
would  not  go  to  Europe." 

"It  is  not  necessary  that  you  should,"  said  the 
doctor ;  "  you  can  get  as  far  as  the  Cape." 

"  I  hate  the  Cape,"  growled  out  the  patient. 

**  Well,  go  where  you  will,"  continued  the  good- 
2  (J3) 


14  AUSTRALIAN    WAND  ERE. iS, 

natured  adviser,  smiling ;  "  both  mind  and  boay 
need  renovation,  and  I  shall  send  you  the  proper 
certificate  as  my  last  prescription."  So  saying, 
he  left  the  room,  and  Captain  Spencer  remained 
for  some  time  in  deep  thought. 

At  last,  turning  himself  impatiently  on  hia 
couch,  he  muttered,  "  If  it  must  be  done,  the 
sooner  I  set  about  it  the  better."  The  energy  of 
the  young  man,  of  which  he  had  a  large  share, 
being  now  awakened,  his  countenance  brightened, 
his  movements  became  more  elastic.  As  he  arose 
and  walked  up  and  down  his  room,  his  pace  gradu- 
ally quickened ;  and  when  his  servant  presented 
him  with  an  envelope  containing  the  aforesaid 
document,  he  said  to  him,  "  Yacoub,  would  you 
like  to  have  a  long  holiday  ?" 

"Yes,  if  Sahib  please,"  replied  the  man,  grin- 
ning. 

"  Very  well ;  vanish  !" 

At  these  words  the  servant  disappeared,  won- 
dering what  was  meant  by  the  holiday ;  while  hia 
master,  having  slipped  on  his  uniform,  repaired  to 
his  commanding  officer.  After  remaining  with 
him  for  some  little  time,  he  proceeded  to  the  port, 
stepped  into  a  small  boat,  and  was  seen  w^ending 
his  vay  among  the  Malay  craft  then  at  anchor  in 
the  bay.  He  went  on  board  several  vessels  which 
were  waiting  for  freight  or  hire,  and  returned  to 
his  quarters  before  the  heat  of  the  day  commenced, 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     15 

Fatigued  with  his  exertions,  he  threw  himself  on 
a  sofa,  but  his  mind  was  at  first  evidently  too  full 
of  the  future  to  sleep.  One  hand  hung  listlessly 
down  by  his  side,  and  it  was  soon  saluted  by  a 
cold  nose,  and  the  gentle  touch  of  a  tongue.  "Ah, 
Gipsy,  why  do  you  disturb  your  master  ?"  was  the 
answer  to  this  caress.  "  What  will  you  do  without 
me,  my  poor  dog  ?" 

At  these  words  a  small  black  and  tan  terrier 
leaped  upon  him,  and  nestling  her  head  under  hia 
jacket,  composed  herself  to  sleep.  After  a  pause, 
her  master,  patting  her  head,  seemed  to  have  come 
to  a  fresh  resolution ;  for  he  said,  "  Gip,  you  shall 
go  with  me ;  we  have  never  been  separated  since 
you  were  born  two  years  ago.  You  shall  go  with 
your  master,  and  help  to  take  care  of  him ;  and 
what  is  more.  Tiger  shall  go  too.  He  is  as  play- 
ful as  a  kitten  ;  he  can  sleep  on  deck — he  can  step 
in  and  out  of  a  boat  like  a  waterman — he  can 
swim  like  a  fish — and,  still  better,  he  has  not  for- 
gotten how  to  fight  with  his  forefeet.  We'll  all 
go  together."  Having  thus  settled  matters  to  his 
satisfaction,  Captain  Spencer  hugged  Gipsy  close 
up  to  him,  turned  round  upon  his  side,  and  fell 
fast  asleep. 

The  arrangements  for  the  voyage  were  not  long 
making.  Leave  of  absence  was  granted  for  a 
year,  certain  ;  and  if  not  returned  at  that  time, 
it  was  to  be  extended  to  the  soldier  for  at  least 


16  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

another  year.  A  pretty  little  schooner,  with 
rakish  masts  and  a  comfortable  cabin  beh^w,  was 
engaged.  She  was  manned  by  five  Malays,  who 
were  well  and  favourably  known  in  the  port ;  she 
was  provided  with  a  small  boat,  and  a  kind  of  stall 
was  knocked  up  on  the  deck  for  Tiger ;  but  thia 
accommodating  steed,  a  half-bred  Arab,  grey  in 
colour,  and  having  a  long  white  mane  and  tail, 
could,  in  case  of  bad  weather,  come  down  the 
cabin  stairs  and  remain  with  his  master.  One  of 
the  Malays  undertook  to  curry  and  attend  to  him, 
and  an  ample  store  of  food  was  provided  for  his 
sustenance.  Captain  Spencer  discharged  some  of 
his  servants,  gave  others  the  long  holiday  of  Avhich 
he  had  spoken  to  Yacoub,  with  an  allowance  of 
wages  through  his  agent ;  and  taking  leave  of  his 
friends  in  Bombay,  started  for  a  cruise  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Indian  Archipelago.  He  did 
not  like  to  go  much  between  the  islands,  for  fear 
of  piracy ;  but  he  kept  within  their  reach,  that  he 
might  occasionally  renew  his  stock  of  eatables. 
The  idle  and  the  dissipated  wondered  at  him ;  his 
acquaintances  said  he  was  an  odd  fellow ;  and  his 
fi'iends,  knowing  how  much  "  good  stuff"  there 
was  in  him,  thought  him  right  to  please  himself. 
Tea,  sugar,  hams,  flour,  biscuit,  rice,  and  water, 
were  placed  in  the  small  hold,  with  various  other 
comforts ;  and  poultry  was  lodged  on  the  deck. 
The  traveller  furnished  himself  with  books,  draw- 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  IT 

ing  and  writing  materials,  took  a  quantity  of  fish- 
ing-tackle, extra  horse-shoes,  various  tools,  a  double- 
barrelled  gun,  a  brace  of  double-barrelled  pistols, 
a  short  sword,  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  ammuni- 
tion. He  also  had  a  good  chart,  and  a  small  but 
powerful  pocket-telescope.  A  close  friendship 
existed  between  Tiger  and  Gipsy ;  and  as  all  the 
life  of  the  latter  had  been  spent  with  her  master 
and  the  horse,  she  was  perfectly  happy  when  with 
them,  wherever  it  might  be ;  and  as  to  Tiger,  he 
emulated  Gipsy  in  docility  and  attachment. 

The  little  party  proceeded  smoothly ;  the  health 
of  the  four-footed  animals  was  preserved  by  now 
and  then  landing  on  one  of  the  islands,  and  taking 
a  run  and  a  gallop ;  and  for  a  time  the  invalid 
was  pleased  with  the  dreamy  sort  of  life  which 
such  a  scheme  afforded.  One  great  source  of 
interest  lay  in  watching  the  inhabitants  of  those 
seas,  which  are  so  varied,  so  beautiful,  and  at 
times  so  grotesque.  A  morning's  amusement  con- 
sisted of  converting  one  of  those  enormous  shells 
called  Tritons*  into  a  tea-kettle.  Not  that  Cap- 
tain Spencer  was  without  this  necessary  utensil, 
but  the  singularity  of  the  thing,  as  described  to 
him,  had  struck  his  fancy ;  so,  when  one  of  the 
crew  brought  him  the  shell  complete,  with  its  lid, 
or  operculum,  he  determined  to  exercise  his  skill 
upon  it.     Laying  it  upon  the  table  in  his  cabin 

•  Triton  variegatua. 
2* 


18  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

he  witli  a  gimlet  bored  a  hole  opposite  to  the  part 
on  which  it  rested  steadily,  and  inserted  a  thick 
iron  wire  into  it ;  with  a  pair  of  pincers  he  twisted 
this  at  the  lower  end,  so  as  to  prevent  it  from 
slipping  through  the  hole ;  and  at  the  top  he  bent 
it  into  a  handle,  round  which  he  put  some  plaited 
hairs  out  of  Tiger's  tail.  Into  the  operculum  he 
inserted  a  smaller  and  shorter  wire  secured  in  the 
like  manner,  and  the  long  canal  of  the  shell  served 
for  a  spout.  In  the  evening,  after  being  put.  on 
the  hot  ashes  of  the  caboose  fire,  water  was  brought 
to  him  in  it,  boiling  with  great  bubbles,  as  French 
people  call  it  when  fit  for  making  tea,  and  he  was 
perfectly  satisfied  with  his  own  workmanship.  He 
afterwards  completed  his  tea-service  by  making 
use  of  the  Clamp  shell*  as  a  cup,  which  on  one  of 
his  excursions  ashore  he  found  attached  to  a  rock 
by  its  thick  tough  bysus.  He  chopped  this  away 
with  his  hatchet,  and  then  removed  the  velvet- 
looking  animal  within,  covered  with  its  beautiful 
spots,  and  lying  in  a  heap  in  one  part  of  the  shell. 
He  had  chosen  one  of  the  least,  for  some  of  them 
weighed  six  hundred  pounds ;  still  his  equipage 
was  heavy,  it  must  be  owned ;  but  it  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  not  being  liable  to  break. 

One  of  Captain  Spencer's  daily  occupations  was 
to  teach  a  bird  to  speak,  which  one  of  his  men 
had  caught  in  the  interior  of  an  island.     At  first 

*  Tridacne  gigas. 


AUSTRALIAN    WAXDERERS.  19 

he  thought  it  was  was  Linnoeus  called  the  Gractda 
religiosa,  which  noAV  bears  the  name  of  Eulabes ; 
but  its  beak  diifered,  and  he  concluded,  from  its 
entire  resemblance  in  other  resiDCcts,  that  it  must 
be  only  a  different  species ;  its  talking  powers, 
however,  were  even  more  remarkable.  The  Ma- 
lay told  him  he  had  been  attracted  by  its  perfect 
imitation  of  himself  and  his  companion,  as  they 
spoke,  and  he  had  easily  captured  it,  owing  to  an 
injury  it  had  received  in  one  of  its  wings.  In  a 
short  time  the  bird  called  Gipsy  and  Tiger,  and 
talked  most  impertinently  to  its  master,  as  Ned 
Spencer. 

The  invalid  might  have  recruited  his  strength 
with  bird's-nest  soup,  formed  of  a  marine  plant 
which  his  men  called  Agal-agal,  and  which,  when 
made  into  nests,  hung  to  the  sides  of  shallow  caves, 
like  watch-pockets  ;  but  he  did  not  relish  its  insipid 
taste.  The  Malays,  however,  procured  a  great 
number  of  these,  with  the  intention  of  selling 
them  on  their  return  ;  and  they  frequently  asked 
their  master's  permission  to  stay  in  some  spots, 
where  they  dived  for  pearls.  They  brought  him 
several  specimens  of  their  treasures,  some  of  which 
were  of  a  pale  straw-colour,  and  others,  taken 
from  the  shell  called  the  Pinna,  were  quite  black. 
Occasionally,  as  he  stepped  over  a  rough  beach, 
during  his  excursions,  he  was  amused  with  the 
Carrier  Trochus,  as  it  jumped  over  the  obstacles 


20  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

in  its  way,  gathering  fresh  fragments  of  shells  and 
sand  as  it  went  along,  lifting  its  superfluous  bur- 
den by  the  action  of  its  body,  and  trailing  ita 
operculum  behind.  The  tentacula  were  generally 
stretched  out,  the  creature  bent  down  its  thick 
pink  proboscis,  its  large  black  eyes  seemed  to 
watch  sharply  for  its  food,  and  its  carrier  labours 
seemed  almost  ludicrous,  from  the  idea  they  con- 
veyed to  the  observer  of  being  unnecessary. 

Multitudes  of  fishes  played  about  the  rocks, 
particularly  the  Scorpence,  whi'ch  attracted  notice 
by  the  extraordinary  development  of  the  spines 
about  their  head,  also  of  their  fins,  and  by  their 
brilliant  colours.  There  was  a  great  variety  of 
beautiful,  branching  Corallines,  and  sea-weeds  of 
strange  forms  and  splendid  hues,  showing  a  rich 
world  of  interest  beneath  the  waters.  In  the 
Mangrove  swamps  they  found  the  Close-eyed  Gud- 
geon,* which,  when  it  landed  on  firm  ground, 
jumped  about  like  a  frog,  slid  along  on  its  belly, 
or  climbed  the  roots  of  the  trees.  They  took 
some  of  the  Fighting-fishes  on  board,  and  there 
kept  them  in  water,  to  watch  the  fury  with  which 
they  quarrelled,  changed  colour,  and  darted  at 
each  other,  if  they  came  in  too  close  contact. 

One  night,  as  Captain  Spencer  lay  asleep,  he 
was  awoke  by  a  strange,  singing  and  monotonous 
noise ;  and  Gipsy  at  once  started  upon  her  feet, 

*  PeriophthalmuB. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  21 

and  throwing  up  her  head,  uttered  a  howl  which 
completely  roused  the  whole  crew,  who  rushed  on 
deck  together  Avith  their  master,  while  the  two  who 
had  remained  up  to  watch  and  steer  spoke  and 
looked  mysteriously.  All  was  again  silent,  and 
then  the  same  noise  returned,  accompanied  by  a 
booming  sound,  as  if  from  under  the  vessel.  They 
were  not  near  land,  the  schooner  having  stood  out 
to  sea  in  apprehension  of  an  approaching  storm, 
so  that  the  disturbance  could  not  proceed  from 
any  terrestrial  animal ;  and  then  it  occurred  to 
the  Englishman  that  it  was  the  sound  made  by 
the  Drum  or  Organ-fish,*  of  which  he  had  read; 
and  when  he  again  heard  it,  swelling  and  dying 
away  as  it  were  under  his  feet,  he  was  satisfied 
with  this  explanation  of  the  mystery.  Not  so  his 
men,  although  two  of  them  had  heard  it  before ; 
they  shook  their  heads,  and  looked  uneasily  at 
each  other,  smiling  incredulously  as  they  lowered 
the  nets  by  their  master's  order,  and  seeming 
to  have  expected  their  total  want  of  success  in 
making  a  capture.  Night  after  night  did  Captain 
Spencer  anxiously  watch  by  moonlight,  both  for 
the  sight  and  sound  of  these  musical  fishes,  but  in 
vain  as  far  as  they  were  concerned  ;  he,  howevor, 
saw  some  Cuttle-fishes,  whose  size  quite  verified  all 
he  had  heard  of  them,  for  they  could  easily  have 
taken  a  grasp  of  twelve  feet  with  their  long  arms- 

*  Pogonias. 


22  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

They  were,  however,  too  active  to  be  caught,  but 
8tared  with  their  cat-like  eyes,  and  frequently  and 
suddenly  cast  forth  a  thin,  inky  liquid  from  their 
necks,  altogether  being  very  hideous  and  gro- 
tesque. 

The  nets  were  torn  by  a  curious  Diodon,  or 
Globe-fish,  Avith  golden  eyes  and  black  pupils, 
which  swelled  out  its  body,  stuck  out  its  spines, 
and  bit  and  spat  at  those  who  took  it  into  their 
hands.  One  morning  a  small,  spotted  shark 
snatched  away  a  sheep-skin  which  was  hanging  at 
the  bows  ;  and  snakes  of  varied  form  and  size 
swam  from  island  to  island.  Some  of  them  were 
beautifully  marked  with  bands,  and  were  the  size 
of  a  man's  leg,  lying  lazily  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  or  forming  graceful  curves.  One  was 
caught  by  a  Malay,  which  had  enormous  fangs ; 
he  formed  a  noose  of  a  long  piece  of  grass,  which 
had  been  brought  on  board  with  Tiger's  food, 
dexterously  passed  it  over  the  head  of  the  animal, 
drew  it  tight,  lifted  the  snake  out  of  the  water, 
and  only  loosened  it  when  the  spine  had  been 
divided  with  a  knife. 

Amid  so  many  interesting  and  beautiful  objects, 
life  was  varied  by  occasional  intercourse  Avith  the 
inhabitants  of  the  gem-like  spots  of  earth  which 
studded  the  Eastern  Ocean,  who  brought  fowls, 
fruits,  and  vegetables  alongside  for  sale.  Occa- 
sioiw.lly   Captain   Spencer  thought  he  saw  some 


AUbTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     23 

suspicious-looking  craft,  wearing  a  piratical  appear- 
ance ;  but  his  men  were  faithful,  and  their  Malay 
birth  was  a  sort  of  security.  Health  and  strength, 
however,  did  not  return  as  quickly  as  he  had  anti- 
cipated ;  the  heat  was  often  intense,  OAving  to  the 
lingering  remains  of  the  rainy  season,  and  be 
fancied  that  the  frequent  presence  of  mangrove- 
lined  shores  was  unwholesome.  Tiger  began  to 
droop,  although  every  precaution  had  been  taken 
to  keep  his  shed  cool,  such  as  to  cover  its  roof 
with  boughs  of  trees  or  grass,  and  frequently  to 
pprinkle  these  with  water.  Then  his  master  de- 
termined to  go  still  farther  south ;  and  he  asked 
his  chief  navigator  if  he  were  acquainted  with  the 
Australian  shores.  The  man  replied  in  the  affir- 
mative, and  said  that  he  had  frequently  been  on 
the  northern  coast,  and  bartered  with  the  natives, 
who  were  very  savage,  treacherous,  and  difficult 
to  deal  with.  Captain  Spencer  told  him  he  did 
not  wish  to  visit  them,  or  any  settlement,  unlesa 
it  were  Sydney,  where  he  could,  if  necessary,  pro- 
cure money ;  but  merely  to  pass  backwards  and 
forwards  along  the  north  and  north-western  coasts,, 
going  ashore,  as  he  had  already  done,  when  he  felt 
inclined,  and  returning  to  the  schooner  when 
fatigued.  The  man  answered,  that  it  was  very 
possible  to  accomplish  this,  but  as  it  was  some- 
times difficult  to  land,  and  water  and  supplies  very 
seldom  to  be  procured  there,  they  had  better  first 


24  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

proceed  to  some  place  where  they  could  lay  in  a 
large  stock.  He  recQpimended  the  island  of  Timor ; 
and  as  Captain  Spencer  consented,  they  steered 
for  this  place,  still  keeping  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
Archipelago,  and  so  avoiding  the  larger  islands 
of  Java  and  Sumatra,  which  he  had  at  first  de- 
termined to  visit,  but  the  climate  of  which  he  now 
thought  would  be  too  relaxing. 

After  some  days,  constant  sailing,  high,  sharp, 
and  jagged  pinnacles  appeared  in  the  distance  ;  for 
these  the  master  steered,  and  at  night  anchored 
opposite  the  to^m  of  Coepang,  in  whose  bay  lay 
some  of  the  southern  whalers,  to  take  in  a  supply 
of  excellent  water,  which  is  conveyed  from  further 
inland  to  the  beach  by  means  of  a  pipe.  When 
the  bright  morning  sun  lighted  up  the  fleecy  clouds 
which  hung  about  the  summits  of  the  mountains, 
it  disclosed  rich  woods  and  plantations  at  their 
feet.  Little  boats  guided  by  Malays  soon  came 
round  the  schooner,  and  great  surprise  was  evinced 
at  seeing  an  English  officer.  They  all  asked  him 
to  land  in  their  boats,  but  he  preferred  going  in 
that  of  the  schooner ;  and  for  the  sake  of  assum- 
ing a  more  favourable  appearance,  he  laid  aside 
his  jacket,  and  putting  on  an  undress  uniform  coat, 
he  and  Gipsy  went  ashore  for  the  purpose  of  visit- 
ing the  Dutch  Resident.  They  walked  through 
several  narrow  streets,  chiefly,  composed  of  bam- 
boo houses,  in  which  they  met  many  passing  to  and 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  25 

fro,  belonging  to  different  nations,  and  frequently 
bearing  with  them  fruit,  poultry,  eggs,  &c.,  for  sale. 
The  Timoree  men  were  but  sparingly  clothed ;  the 
women,  however,  wore  long  loose  gowns  :  the  for- 
mer were  easily  distinguished  by  their  athletic 
forms  and  crisp  hair.  Numerous  shops  lined  the 
streets,  which  seemed  principally  to  belong  to 
plump,  laughing,  good-tempered  Chinese,  who,  as 
they  sat  at  their  door  eating  their  breakfast  of 
rice  with  chop-sticks,  asked  the  stranger  to  share 
their  meal.  Civilly  declining  their  hospitality,  and 
untempted  by  their  merchandise.  Captain  Spencer 
pursued  his  way,  and  descended  into  a  valley  orna- 
mented with  beautiful  trees,  the  most  conspicuous 
of  which  were  cocoa-nuts,  placed  beside  the  broad, 
floating  leaves  of  the  bananas. 

Several  good  stone  houses  stood  in  the  valley , 
and  seeing  a  soldier  leaning  against  the  entrance 
of  one  of  them.  Captain  Spencer  supposed  it  to  be 
that  of  the  Resident.  He  spoke  Dutch  fluently, 
and  his  inquiry  of  the  sentinel  confirming  his  sup- 
position, he  asked  to  be  shown  into  the  presence 
of  the  great  man.  He  was  in  truth  a  great  man, 
for  he  was  tall  and  fat,  besides  which  he  talked 
very  loud  and  fast.  His  good  nature,  however, 
equalled  his  size,  and  he  offered  the  stranger  every 
convenience  in  his  power  to  afford,  and  a  day's 
sport  into  the  bargain.  Captain  Spencer  said  his 
health  would  not  allow  him  to  undergo  miscb 
3 


26  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

fatigue,  but  if  his  Excellency  would  allow  liim,  he 
would  come  early  the  next  morning  with  his  horse 
and  gun,  and  ride  over  some  of  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  town.  The  Resident  said  all  should  be 
ready  for  him,  and  extended  his  politeness  so  far, 
as  to  ask  his  visitor  to  inspect  the  fort  at  the  pre- 
sent opportunity.  The  oflfer  was  accepted,  and  a 
servant  was  sent  with  him,  not  only  there,  but  to 
attend  and  help  him  in  transacting  his  affairs  in 
the  town. 

This  fort  stood  on  a  madrepore  rock,  commanded 
the  port  and  the  straggling  town,  and  was  washed 
on  one  side  by  a  running  stream.  The  view  from 
it  was  very  beautiful ;  the  lofty  mountains,  their 
deep  gorges  filled  with  the  luxuriant  verdure  of  the 
tropics,  and  the  lesser  heights  covered  with  vege- 
tation, sloping  off  into  plantations,  altogether 
formed  a  sight  not  easily  forgotten.  Numerous 
paddy-fields,  however,  told  the  secret  of  those  in- 
termittent fevers,  from  which  the  Resident  said 
the  town  of  Coepang  greatly  suffered. 

Captain  Spencer's  guide  took  him  to  a  place 
where  he  could  change  his  rupees  into  the  copper 
cuiTency  used  in  traffic  ;  and  carrying  the  load  for 
him,  then  led  him  to  the  warehouses  where  he 
could  best  procure  the  provisions  of  which  he  stood 
in  need.  After  superintending  their  conveyance 
to  his  boat,  he  followed  the  man  to  a  Malay  school, 
Vrhere  clever,  intelligent  children  were  singing  old 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  27 

hymns,  from  music  noted  in  ancient  cliaracters, 
taught  to  them  by  the  Dutch  clergyman,  who  had 
converted  many  to  Christianity.  After  this  the 
Englishman  rewarded  the  servant  for  his  attend- 
ance, and  returned  to  his  floating  habitation. 

The  next  morning  came  Tiger's  turn  for  an  ex- 
cursion; and  his  appearance  was  so  superior  to 
that  of  the  native  ponies  of  Timor,  that  he  excited 
much  admiration  as  he  passed  to  the  house  of  the 
Resident,  who  laid  aside  his  pipe,  offered  refresh- 
ment, and  entered  into  conversation  with  his  guest. 
Speaking  of  the  island,  he  said  it  was  subject  to 
earthquakes,  one  of  which  had  a  few  years  before 
destroyed  the  town ;  that  water  might  be  had  in 
the  northern  part,  but  it  was  there  tainted  by  a 
tree  which  grew  close  to  it,  but  of  what  sort  he 
could  not  tell ;  that  the  mountains  were  rich  in 
various  metals,  but  the  custom  of  the  mountaineers 
of  sacrificing  a  life  for  every  bottlefull  of  gold- 
dust  which  was  collected,  precluded  all  profit  from 
that  production  ;  and  that  sixty  Dutch  soldiers  had 
been  sent  to  get  some,  but  they  had  all  been  mur- 
dered. He  spoke  of  the  customs  of  the  natives, 
and  described  the  people  as  very  superstitious  ; 
said  that  they  always  killed  a  number  of  pigs  and 
ponies  over  the  graves  of  their  relations,  in  order 
to  propitiate  the  evil  spirit ;  that  all  those  fine, 
wild-looking  men  his  visitor  had  seen  in  the  streets, 
were  slaves  to  the  Rajahs  of  the  island,  and  im* 


28  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

plicitly  obedient  to  their  commands ;  that  one  oi 
the  Rajahs  was  at  that  time  in  the  town,  who  waa 
styled  the  Emperor  ;  and  in  conclusion,  his  Excel' 
lencj  added,  "  By  the  by,  although  this  fellow  ia 
polite  and  well-mannered,  he  is  a  great  rascal,  and 
makes  nothing  of  cutting  his  wives  to  pieces  if 
they  give  him  cause  for  offence." 

It  was  time  for  the  traveller  to  start  for  his  ride, 
and  the  Resident  desired  him  to  be  taken  across  a 
well-watered  and  fertile  country,  among  trees 
thickly  inhabited  by  monkeys,  into  a  valley,  round 
which  some  lofty  mountains  rose  in  majestic  gran- 
deur. Some  enormous  trees  bordered  it,  and  a 
village  was  scattered  among,  them.  Here  a  sub- 
ordinate authority,  having  been  prepared  by  the 
Resident,  met  Captain  Spencer,  and  regaled  him 
with  cocoa-nuts,  bananas,  mangoes,  and  honey,  in 
a  large,  rambling  house  built  near  a  beautiful 
stream,  for  the  occasional  recreation  of  the  Resi- 
dent. This  repast  was,  literally  speaking,  a  hors 
d'ceuvre ;  for  a  •  meal,  provided  by  the  Resident, 
was  served  immediately  in  rather  a  novel  order. 
Tea,  coffee,  and  fruit  came  first ;  and  an  hour  after 
a  train  of  servants  entered  with  fowls  and  rice, 
cooked  into  a  number  of  different  dishes. 

In  the  evening  Captain  Spencer  walked  out  with 
the  Commandant,  and  shot  some  pigeons — a  task 
of  no  small  difficulty,  unerring  as  his  aim  was,  for 
they  generally  perched  on  the  uppermost  bougha 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  29 

of  the  loftiest  trees.  He  found  he  "was  expected 
to  stay  all  night ;  and  dispatching  a  message  to 
his  schooner  to  account  for  his  absence,  he  pre- 
pared for  rest.  The  lights  were  merely  some 
threads  of  cotton  drawn  through  wax,  and  his  bed 
consisted  of  a  few  mats ;  he  was  therofere  very 
glad  that  he  had  brought  a  mackintosh  cloak  across 
his  saddle  ;  and  after  seeing  Tiger  well  fed,  and 
housed  in  a  substantial  shed,  he  rolled  himself  up 
in  the  said  mackintosh,  and  passed,  what  appeared 
to  him  a  cold  night,  in  tolerable  comfort,  Gipsy 
bearing  her  share  in  imparting  warmth. 

Early  in  the  morning,  when  the  mists  had 
cleared  off  the  mountains  in  floating  wreaths  and 
flocky  masses,  the  Commandant  summoned  Captain 
Spencer  to  resume  his  sport,  and  a  large  party  of 
Malay  servants  and  village-people  added  to  their 
number.  Each  of  the  former  was  armed  with  an 
old  Tower  musket,  which  was  loaded  with  common 
powder  and  stone  slugs,  the  necessary  quantity  for 
each  charge  being  put  into  a  piece  of  bamboo. 
Besides  the  musket,  all  carried  a  large  knife  stuck 
into  their  belt.  The  combination  of  Malays  and 
Timorees  was  picturesque ;  the  latter,  with  their 
aquiline  noses,  having  much  the  advantage  in  per- 
sonal beauty.  They  proceeded  to  a  plain,  where, 
attracted  by  a  large  plant  with  a  very  handsome 
leaf.  Captain  Spencer  was  about  to  gather  a  branch 
of  it.     Before  he   could  reach  it,  however,  the 


80  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

Commandant  eagerly,  and  even  roughly  struck  his 
hand  down.  He  turned  round  with  an  astonished 
look,  when  his  host  bowed,  apologised  for  his  seem- 
ing rudeness,  and  informed  him  that  that  was  "the 
Devil's  leaf,"  and  if  he  had  touched  it,  it  would 
have  caused  great  soreness,  pain,  and  terrible  irri- 
tation for  many  months,  if  it  had  not  killed  him ; 
especially  as  his  hand  had  not  been  protected  by  a 
glove.  Captain  Spencer  thanked  the  Commandant 
for  his  kind  interference,  and  on  looking  more 
closely  at  the  plant,  he  saw  it  was  a  kind  of  gigantic 
nettle. 

The  party  was  now  stationed,  each  at  some  yards 
distance  from  the  other,  the  deer  were  driven  to- 
wards them,  and  several  were  brought  down  by 
the  rude  weapons,  the  stone  slugs  making  enor- 
mous holes.  The  animals  were  skinned,  and  pre- 
sented to  the  stranger,  who  restored  the  shot  to 
the  owners,  and  distributed  some  coin  among  the 
whole  assemblage.  To  the  Commandant  he  pre- 
sented some  of  his  better  powder  and  shot,  which 
were  received  with  gratitude.  On  returning  to 
his  boat,  which,  by  the  messenger  of  the  preced- 
ing evening,  he  had  ordered  round  to  meet  him,  he 
saw  the  curious  mode  of  tillage  practised  by  the 
Timorees.  A  piece  of  ground  was  enclosed  and 
well  watered,  after  which  some  bullocks  were 
driven  furiously  across  it,  backwards  and  forwards 
in  all  directions ;  and  this  was  all  the  preparation 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  31 

whicli  the  ground  received  before  the  sowing  of 
the  grain.  Taking  his  game  with  him,  in  order  to 
share  it  with  his  crew,  Captain  Spencer  joined  his 
schooner  ;  and  the  next  morning,  when  he  started 
to  pay  a  visit  of  thanks  and  farewell  to  the  Resi- 
dent, his  chief  man  requested  permission  to  go  to 
a  distant  part  of  the  island,  in  order  to  trade  a 
little  with  the  natives,  he  having  brought  with  him 
a  small  stock  of  merchandise,  in  case  of  having  an 
opportunity  for  traffic.  Captain  Spencer  desired 
him  to  wait  till  he  returned,  and  then  they  would 
all  go  together  ;  for  this  would  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  more  of  the  Timoree  people,  for 
whom  he  felt  considerable  interest.  He  finished 
his  visit  by  presenting  an  English  penknife  to  the 
Resident,  who  was  delighted  with  the  gift ;  and 
the  schooner,  passing  by  dark,  limestone  cliifs, 
with  coral  imbedded-  in  them,  anchored  off  the 
mouth  of  a  small  river,  taking  its  rise  in  those 
noble  heights,  which  give  such  beauty  to  the 
island. 

Parcels  of  the  Indian  and  European  goods  with 
which  he  meant  to  trade  were  made  up  by  the 
master,  consisting  of  silk  handkerchiefs,  coarse 
cutlery,  gunpowder  (which  the  natives  of  these 
places  are  very  anxious  to  obtain),  leathern  straps, 
&c. ;  and  after  laying  them  down  upon  the  shore, 
he  returned  to  the  schooner.  The  natives  then 
came  and  examined  them,  after  which  they  placed 


32     AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

by  the  side  of  each,  packet  the  quantity  of  wax, 
honey,  fruit,  and  cotton  cloth  of  their  own  manu- 
facture, which  they  meant  to  give,  and  retreated. 
The  master,  in  his  turn,  went  to  their  deposits, 
and  not  thinking  the  amount  sufficient,  left  them 
all  in  the  same  state.  The  natives  came  a  second 
time,  and  added  some  nutmegs  and  feathers,  and 
returned  to  their  hiding-place.  With  these  the 
Malay  trader  was  satisfied ;  he  took  them  away, 
left  his  own  goods  in  exchange,  and  finally  em- 
barked. This  singular  traffic  being  concluded, 
there  was  nothing  more  to  detain  them,  and  the 
schooner  sailed  for  Australia;  Captain  Spancer 
not  being  sorry  to  leave  a  place,  which,  however 
beautiful,  was  decidedly  unhealthy:  a  proof  of 
this  was  given  by  one  of  his  men  being  attacked 
with  a  slight  fit  of  cholera,  which  disabled  him  for 
many  hours. 

Several  weeks  of  Captain  Spencer's  furlough 
having  now  elapsed,  without  any  great  improve- 
ment in  his  health,  he  hailed  the  superior  coolnesa 
of  the  breeze,  as  they  left  the  island,  with  plea- 
sure, and,  full  of  hope  and  cheerfulness,  welcomed 
the  first  glimpses  of  the  Australian  continent,  with 
the  full  persuasion  that  he  was  now  within  reach 
of  recovery. 


CHAPTER  11. 

Arrival  on  the  northern  coast  of  Australia — Various  sea  animals- 
Albatross — Tropic  and  Frigate  birds — Touch  at  an  island,  see 
natives — Go  back  to  the  continent — Enter  a  river — Catch  a  croco- 
dile— The  country  on  fire — See  a  Dugong — Return  from  tho 
river — The  Malays  catch  Trepang — Captain  Spencer  goes  ashore 
— Finds  a  curious  lizard — Go  to  an  island  to  cure  Trepang — See 
natives — Examine  their  rafts — Oysters  found — Playfulness  of  a 
whale  at  sea — Flies — Natives  bring  a  young  man  for  them  to  sot 
his  arm — Captain  Spencer  performs  the  operation — Description 
of  natives — Charlie  and  Tiger  (the  horse)  frighten  them — Natives 
dance — The  schooner  goes  to  another  island — Captain  Spencer 
finds  an  eagle's  nest,  and  various  birds — Goes  ashore — Eagle  shot 
— Captain  Spencer  stays  all  night — Violent  hurricane  and  storm 
— Schooner  lost — Malays  crushed  by  falling  of  cliif — Captain 
Spencer  enters  a  cave  with  Charlie,  Tiger,  and  the  dog  Gipsy. 

Arrived  on  the  northern  coast  of  Australia, 
Captain  Spencer  occasionally  entered  some  of  the 
numerous  inlets  with  which  it  is  indented,  and  at 
others  crossed  them,  as  the  humour  of  the  moment 
dictated,  passing  one  or  two  which  looked  like  the 
mouth  of  promising  rivers ;  but  he  did  not  attempt 
to  ascertain  their  course,  "For,"  said  he  to  him- 
self, "  I  have  no  intention  of  making  discoveries, 
and  no  desire  to  come  in  contact  with  the  very 
barbarous  people  of  these  places.  The  rivers  may 
flow  as  they  will  for  me,  and  I  am  now  getting  so 
Btrong  that  I  shall  not  have  occasion  to  stay  long  on 

(33> 


34  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

tliese  shores,  which  hitherto  have  not  appeared  to 
be  very  tempting.  Those  slimy  mangroves  seem 
to  abound  on  the  shalloAV  coasts  here,  as  elsewhere, 
carrying  their  unhealthy  atmosphere  with  them, 
and  harbouring  those  vile  mosquitoes,  which  are 
enough  to  frighten  any  one  away;. even  at  sea 
they  reach  me,  and  I  must  get  further  into  the 
ocean." 

During  an  extension  of  sea-room,  fresh  denizens 
of  the  salt  water  were  met  with,  among  which  was 
a  shrimp-like  animal,  p'obably  a  Peneus,  which 
had  a  beautiful  purple  shield  on  its  head,  and  a 
Hyalea,  the  purple  grape  colour  of  which  cast  a 
phosphorescent  light  around  it.  The  Velella 
floated  on  an  oval,  but  flat,  cartilaginous  membrane, 
on  the  under  side  of  which  was  a  mouth,  surrounded 
by  tentacula ;  on  the  upper  side  it  had  a  crest 
which  caught  every  little  eddy  of  wind,  and  was 
whirled  round  by  it  without  the  power  of  resist- 
ance, so  swimming  along  Avhether  it  pleased  or  not, 
according  to  the  caprices  of  the  breeze. 

There  was,  however,  nothing  prettier  than  the 
Sea-snail,*  with  its  beautiful  violet  colour,  and 
frothy  bubbles  issuing  from  its  mouth ;  the  shell 
sometimes  covered  with  tiny  Barnacles,  the  ani 
mals  of  which  had  become  violet  in  hue,  while  their 
coverings  remained  white.  Then  there  was  a 
Glaucus,  looking  like  a  deep-blue  feather  with  a 

*  lanthina. 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDEREKS.     85 

t^hlte  streak,  shrinking  from  every  object  with 
which  it  came  in  contact,  and  punishing  every  ani- 
mal that  disturbed  it  by  emitting  a  most  disagree- 
able odour. 

Captain  Spencer  had  fitted  a  canvass  bag  on  to 
an  iron  ring  at  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  in  the  man- 
ner of  an  insect  net,  by  which  he  was  enabled  to 
catch  many  of  these  strange  creatures.  Having 
been  once  severely  stung  by  an  Acalepha,  two  feet 
lon£c,  the  tail  of  which  had  a  fin  like  that  of  an 
eel,  he  was  careful  not  to  touch  any  of  them  with 
his  hands.  The  canvass  bag  had  been  thickly 
greased  outside,  therefore  for  a  time  held  water, 
and  so  he  was  enabled  to  watch  them  while  swim- 
ming. One  very  extraordinary  creature*  was  so 
nearly  transparent,  that  he  took  it  out  in  order  to 
observe  it  more  minutely ;  and  when  he  put  it  on 
to  the  head  of  a  cask,  it  stood  upright,  and  then 
crawled  away  like  a  beetle. 

One  evening,  a  large  white  Albatrossf  flew  over 
the  schooner,  and  remained  for  some  time  in  sight. 
It  seemed  to  float  in  the  air  rather  than  fly,  and 
its  grave,  solemn  motion,  recalled  Coleridge's  won- 
derful poem  of  the  Ancient  Mariner  so  forcibly, 
that  Captain  Spencer  would  not  have  shot  it  on 
any  account.  As  a  contrast  to  this  mysterious- 
looking  creature,  which  seemed  as  if  it  never  could 
be  in  a  hurry,  were  both  the  Tropic|  and  Frigate 

♦  Phyllosoma.  f  Diomeda  exulans.  J  Phaeton. 


S6  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

birds  ;*  the  former,  with  their  extensive  wings  and 
/ong  narrow  feathers  in  the  tail,  appearing  as  if 
they  never  ceased  their  rapid  flight ;  and  the  latter, 
vath  their  wings  stretching  out  twelve  feet,  swal- 
lowing all  the  flying  fishes  they  could  catch,  most 
unceremoniously  knocking  over  the  Boohies,t  which 
had  already  caught  them,  and  making  them  relin- 
quish their  dinners.  He  was  fortunate  enough  to 
bring  one  of  these  down  while  so  engaged,  and,  on 
examination,  found  an  inflated  bag  under  its  throat, 
to  increase  its  internal  volume  of  air,  and  the  open- 
ing to  which  was  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
shoulder-blade.  Thus  he  ascertained  the  secret  of 
its  lengthened  and  powerful  flight. 

More  "VVater-snakes  too  were  seen ;  and  one 
which  was  caught  in  his  bag  had  flattened  fangs, 
without  a  cutting  edge.|  To  another  he  gave  the 
name  of  the  Sea-serpent,§  from  its  size,  it  being 
even  larger  than  the  Indian  snake  before  taken. 
It  was  as  big  as  a  man's  thigh,  and  was  several 
feet  long ;  a  third  kind  had  lids  to  its  nostrils,  and 
smooth  and  polished  scales.  There  was  no  end  of 
Star-fishes,  with  hard,  round  tubercles  all  over 
them ;  and  a  Gull,  very  much  like  that  of  the 
northern  Skua,  frequently  made  circles  round  the 
Bchooner. 

Several  coral  reefs  and  small  islands  lay  more  or 

•  Tachypetes.  t  Pelecanus  sola. 

i  Hydrus  anstraliensis.  §  Hypotrophie. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  37 

less  in  the  vicinity  of  the  shove ;  and  being  curious 
to   examine   them,   Captain   Spencer   ordered  the 
steersman  to  approach  them.     When  near,  they 
saw  some  of  the  natives,  women  as  well  as  men, 
swimming  away  from  one  of  them,  their  progress 
apparently  quickened  by  the  sight  of  the  schooner. 
In  vain  did  the  Malays  hail  them ;  one  alone,  or 
two  together,  held  a  large  log  with  one  hand,  while 
with  the  other  they  impelled  themselves  forward, 
being  almost  upright  in  the  water.     Making  for 
the  largest  island,  some  bold  coral  rocks  at  first 
forbade  the  landing  of  the  Indian  party,  and  they 
steered   round   it  to  find  a  more  accessible   spot. 
They  at  length  cast  anchor  in  a  shelving  bay,  and 
Captain   Spencer  went  ashore  with  three   of  the 
Malays    to '^search    for    water.       The   beach   was 
thickly  strewn  with  the  shells  of  enormous  Whelks, 
for  which  probably  the  natives  had  been  seeking ; 
and  getting   a  bag  from   the  vessel,  the   Malays 
filled  it  with  enough  for  more  than  one  meal ;  and 
while  they  explored  further,  the  two  left  on  board 
caught  what  they  called  some  Rock-cod,  but  which 
was  not  in  the  least  like  Cod,  and  these  fishes  had 
very  large  mouths,  and  were  frequently  five  feet 
long. 

No  water  was  found,  and  the  schooner  proceeded 

still  nearer    to   the  continent.     From  the  sudden 

bending   of  the   coast  to  the   south,  they  thought 

they  must  have  been   near  some  sharp  promou- 

4 


38  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

tory ;  and  shaping  tlieir  course  along  shore,  the^ 
passed  some  rocks  looking  like  bastions,  and  found 
themselves  in  a  considerable  gulf,  at  the  mouth  of 
■which  the  J  encountered  a  large,  grey  shark,  with 
a  short  nose  and  white  belly.  As  they  advanced, 
they  perceived  that  a  river  of  some  size  fell  into 
this  gulf;  and  thinking  it  would  be  a  capital  wa- 
tering place,  Captain  Spencer  determined  to  go 
up  it  as  long  as  there  Avas  depth  enough  for  the 
schooner,  and  brave  the  mosouitoes.  The  man- 
groves disappeared  after  a  little  distance,  the  banks 
became  low  and  muddy.  Pelicans  and  Curlews 
frequented  them,  and  occasionally  they  were  cov- 
ered with  small,  matted-looking  bushes.  Detached 
masses  of  rocky  sandstone  hills  rose  abruptly  from 
the  level  plain,  and  in  the  far  distance,  long  lines 
of  dark-looking  forest  were  perceived.  Here  and 
there  a  palm,*  dwarfish  to  Indian  eyes,  raised  its 
head  of  f\in-like  fronds,  and  tropical  monsters  of 
animal  life  accompanied  tropical  vegetation.  Three 
or  four  enormous  Crocodiles  were  passed,  and  a 
fifth  being  announced  as  very  near  the  schooner, 
Captain  Spencer  fired  at  its  head,  and  the  ball 
lodged  in  it  with  such  effect,  that  it  turned  upon 
its  back,  and  floated  with  its  feet  uppermost. 
Captain  Spencer  ordered  his  men  to  get  out  the 
boat,  put  a  rope  round  its  legs,  and  tow  it  ashore  ; 
Rt  first  they  hesitated,  for  they  knew  it  was  only 

*  Livistona. 


AUSTRALIAN    -WANDERERS.  C:l 

stunned  ;  so  he  stept  into  the  boat  with  then?  him- 
Belf  fasteneti  the  line  to  one  of  the  legs,  and  pi'O- 
ceeded  with  it  to  the  bank.  Before  it  reached 
land,  however,  it  gave  signs  of  being  still  alive, 
and  struggled  ;  but  they  pulled  vigorously,  and 
jumping  ashore,  they  dragged  it  with  all  their 
might.  Captain  Spencer  at  the  head.  Their  task, 
however,  suddenly  became  too  easy,  and  turning 
round  to  look  at  their  prey,  they  found  that  it  had 
drawn  its  foot  out  of  the  noose,  and  was  walking 
after  the  hindmost  man  with  murderous  intent, 
and  its  mouth  open.  All  at  once  it  closed  this 
huge  aperture  with  a  snap  like  the  shutting  of  a 
gate,  and  the  man  whom  it  seemed  to  have  in  its 
eye,  fell,  contracted  himself  almost  into  a  ball, 
and  rolled  away.  Captain  Spencer  then  fired 
again,  but  he  was  obliged  to  give  the  reptile  six 
balls  in  its  head,  before  it  was  dead ;  it  measured 
fifteen  feet  in  length  ;  the  breadth  of  the  head  was 
two  feet,  and  that  of  the  shoulders  more  than  five 
feet.  The  Malays  skinned  it  with  great  pleasure ; 
then  cutting  ofi"  the  best  parts  of  its  flesh  while 
their  master  amused  himself  by  shooting  some 
Ibises,  they  returned  to  the  schooner ;  and  the 
steaks  which  they  produced  at  Captain  Spencer's 
Bupper-table  were  like  excellent  veal. 

Evening  surprised  the  party  in  the  river,  and 
not  thinking  it  wise  to  explore  by  night,  ordera 
were  given  to  anchor  in  the  middle  of  the  stream. 


40  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

The  heat  had  been  very  great  as  they  receded 
from  the  sea ;  and  in  the  night  was  alinost  intoler- 
able. The  moon  shone  so  brightly  that  Captain 
Spencer  had  read  by  her  light  till  he  was  tired  ; 
the  heat,  however,  would  not  allow  him  to  sleep, 
and  he  fancied  some  storm  must  be  approaching ; 
he  threw  on  his  cloak  and  went  on  deck.  Then  he 
perceived  that  the  whole  country  on  one  side  of 
the  river  was  on  fire,  and  that  if  the  wind  had 
been  in  a  contrary  direction,  they  must  have  been 
enveloped  in  smoke.  Whence  this  could  arise  he 
was  unable  to  imagine ;  but  as  there  had  been  no 
lightning  to  set  the  dry  grass  on  fire — and  in  fact 
it  was  too  near  the  winter  for  vegetation  to  have 
become  dry  enough  to  be  so  burnt — he  concluded 
that  natives  were  not  far  ofi",  and  consequently 
ordered  his  men  to  get  out  of  the  river  as  fast  as 
they  could.  They  had  scarcely  turned  the  head 
of  the  little  vessel  in  a  contrary  direction  when 
they  heard  a  great  splashing  in  the  water ;  and 
looking  over  the  side,  Captain  Spencer  instantly 
recognised  an  animal  swiftly  passing  them  to  be  a 
Dugong  ;*  probably  making  its  way  further  down 
the  river  from  the  same  cause  as  themselves ;  its 
tusks,  just  peeping  from  its  moustached  lips,  were 
visible,  but  there  was  no  time  for  closer  inspection. 
On  passing  round  the  western  entrance  of  the 
gulf  the  next  morning,  the  sea  looked  as  if  it  were 

*  Halicore  australis. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  41 

eoveri'd  witli  reddish  saw-dust.  Guessing  what  it 
might  he,  Captain  Spencer  took  some  up  in  his 
bag,  and  pouring  the  water  into  his  Tridacne  cup, 
found  that  his  surmise  was  correct.  It  prove  1  to 
be  an  accumulation  of  tiny  animals,  which  soon 
died,  and  sank  to  the  bottom,  and  as  they  decom- 
posed, stained  the  water  of  a  bright  crimson 
colour. 

Not  having  procured  any  water  in  the  river, 
they  continued  to  steer  close  to  the  shore  in  the 
hope  of  finding  some  place  where  they  could  re- 
plenish their  stock.  It  Avas  characterised  by  sharp 
capes,  shoals,  and  occasionally  overhanging  cliffs 
of  red  sandstone,  which  sometimes  rose  two  hun- 
dred and  ten  feet  from'  the  sea,  now  and  then 
opening  and  forming  a  gulley.  At  the  entrance 
of  one  of  these,  some  red  objects  were  lying  not 
far  from  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  by  the  help 
of  his  telescope.  Captain  Spencer  perceived  that 
they  were  pieces  of  broken  pottery.  When  he 
told  the  men  what  they  were,  they  said  that  their 
countrymen  must  have  visited  that  place  in  search 
of  Trepang.  On  inquiring  what  Trepang  was, 
they  replied  that  it  was  an  animal  which  lived  in 
the  sea ;  they  did  not  think  it  was  a  fish,  but  it 
was  very  good  to  eat ;  that  it  frequented  this  and 
many  other  seas,  and  they  hoped  he  would  give 
them  leave  to  stop  and  catch  some  for  themselves. 
Captain  Spencer  consented,  and  creeping  still 
4* 


42  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

nearer  to  the  shore,  they  at  first  only  saw  some 
Medusae,  but  afterwards  dragged  up  an  animal, 
which  he  immediately  recognised  as  the  Sea-slug,* 
which  the  Chinese  and  inhabitants  of  the  Indian 
Archipelago  are  so  fond  of  eating.  He  told  the 
men  to  fish  for  it ;  and  after  inspecting  the  gulley, 
and  finding  it  accessible  to  Tiger,  he  started  with 
him  and  Gipsy  for  a  short  excursion.  He  found 
a  low  and  arid  country  behind  the  high  cliffs,  with 
patches  of  tall,  reedy  grass,  off  which,  however, 
Tiger,  who  was  by  no  means  dainty,  contrived  to 
moisten  his  mouth.  Several  lizards  were  crawling 
about,  and  among  them  was  one  of  very  formid- 
able appearance,  and  of  whose  presence  he  was 
made  aware  by  Gipsy.  She  growled,  gave  a  short 
bark,  plunged  at  something,  and  then  retreated, 
shaking  her  head  as  if  scratched  or  wounded ; 
she,  however,  made  a  stand  at  her  enemy,  and 
comuig  up  to  her  assistance,  her  master  found  her 
engaged  with  a  reptile  about  a  foot  and  a  half 
long,  covered  all  over  with  rows  of  sharp,  horny 
spines,  and  of  a  yellow  colour  spotted  with  brown 
over  the  tail,  making  a  most  fearful  opponent. f 
As  it  was  not  required  for  eating,  he  called  the 
dog  off,  and  after  a  short  gallop  returned  to  his 
men,  Avho  ha.d  collected  a  considerable  quantity 
of  Trepangs.  Just  before  descending  he  had 
passed  a  large  mound  of  shells,  and  knocking  9 

*  Holothuria,  t  Moloch  horridus. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  43 

hole  in  it,  he  peeped  in  to  see  what'  was  inside ;  it 
was,  however,  empty,  but  the  Malays  told  him  it 
was  most  likely  a  native  grave. 

The  Trepang  was  generally  from  six  to  eight 
inches  long,  of  a  tough,  leathery  texture,  not  at 
all  tempting  to  Europeans,  and  Avith  numerous  ten- 
tacula  round  its  mouth.     It  was  necessary  that  it 
should  he  cured  for  keeping,  and  the  Malays  asked 
to  go  to  a  neighbouring  island  which  looked  con- 
venient for  the  purpose  ;  Captain  Spencer  complied 
with  their  request,  and   when  their  capture  was 
embarked,  they  steered  for  this  island.     On  near- 
ing  its  shore,  they  saAV  several  of  the  natives  de- 
part from  the  other  side,  men,  women,  and  children, 
seated  on  small  rafts,  one  of  which  being  empty, 
floated  towards  them.     They  secured  it  for  inspec- 
tion, and  found  that  kwas  made  of  slender  poles, 
fastened  together  very  ingeniously  by  wooden  pegs, 
and  broader  at  one  end  so  as  to  resemble  a  fan. 
After  it  had  been  examined.  Captain  Spencer  de- 
sired it  to  be  launched  and  pushed  oflF,  that  it 
might  be  taken  ashore  by  the  tide  ;  on  it  he  put  a 
handkerchief,  some  biscuit,  and  a  knife.     He  de- 
Bired  his  men  to  shout  with  all  their  might  to  the 
supposed  owners ;  but  they  refused  to  answer,  and 
watching  with  his  telescope,  he  saw  the  raft  arrive, 
and  a  man  ta.ke  the  presents  from  it,  which  under- 
went the  scrutiny  of  the  others  also  ;  two  tasted 
the  biscuit,  but  immediately  spat  it  out  again,  and 


44  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

they  left  that  and  the  other  things  on  the  shore 
and  ascended  the  cliffs. 

All  hands  quitted  the  schooner,  which  anchored 
in  twelve  fathoms  water  close  to  the  beach.  A  fire 
was  made,  and  preparations  were  commenced ;  the 
cooking  utensils  were  brought  ashore,  the  Mollusks 
were  split  open  on  one  side,  put  into  boilers,  and 
placed  on  the  ashes,  which  were  constantly  fed 
with  bushes,  where  they  were  to  boil  for  eight 
hours.  That  night,  and  perhaps  more,  must  be 
passed  on  the  spot,  and  Captain  Spencer  determin- 
ing to  remain  quietly  where  he  was,  let  Tiger  roam 
at  large,  and  amuse  himself  on  the  island.  Some 
of  the  spare  poles  were  jjlaced  close  to  a  holloAv  in 
the  rock  close  by ;  and  these  and  some  bushes 
were  converted  into  an  excellent  shelter.  The 
men  said  they  should  have  to  press  the  Trepang 
with  heavy  stones,  and  stretch  it  open  the  next 
morning  with  pieces  of  stick,  and  then  dry  it  in 
the  sun,  after  Avhich  it  was  to  be  smoked  over  the 
fire,  and  that  the  length  of  time  this  would  occupy 
must  depend  on  the  effect  of  the  sun ;  but  at  all 
events  they  should  be  glad  of  a  longer  time  than 
the  usual  period  of  rest.  It  was  a  good  opportu- 
nity to  give  Charlie  a  little  liberty,  for  so  the  bird 
was  named,  and  try  how  far  he  would  avail  himself 
of  it ;  for  now  his  wing  was  perfectly  well,  he 
might  at  any  time  make  his  escape.  When  put 
down  upon  the  ground,  he  seemed  somewhat  at  a 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  45 

loss  to  understand  his  position,  and  at  first  had 
some  difficulty  in  stretching  his  wings  ;  hj  degrees, 
however,  he  rose  higher  and  higher,  and  then  flew 
rapidly  backwards  and  forwards ;  at  last  he  took 
the  direction  of  the  mainland,  and  seemed  to  bid 
adieu  to  his  former  companions,  screaming  and 
calling  out,  "I'm  coming,  I'm  coming!" — "You 
are  going,  I  think,"  said  his  master,  as  he  watched 
him  to  the  opposite  shore,  and  in  spite  of  the  reason- 
ableness of  the  proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  bird, 
somcAvhat  disappointed,  for  Charlie  was  a  great 
favourite  and  source  of  amusement,  and  Captain 
Spencer  thought  he  was  gone  forever. 

On  walking  under  the  rocks  the  Englishman 
found  some  delicious  Oysters  attached  to  them,  and 
he  called  one  of  the  men  to  collect  a  number. 
Having  some  vinegar  on  board,  he  amused  himself 
by  pickling  a  stock  of  them  for  future  purposes. 
While  standing  by  the  fire  Avith  the  Malays,  he 
asked  them  what  they  meant  to  do  with  their  Tre- 
pang.  They  replied,  that  they  should  sell  it  to  the 
Chinese,  and  as  this  was  the  black,  or  best  sort, 
called  batoo,  they  should  get  forty  dollars  for  every 
hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  ;  but  that  the  grey 
was  not  worth  more  than  half  that  money.  They 
added,  they  should  like  to  catch  some  sharks,  for 
they  could  cut  ofi"  their  fins  and  cure  and  sell  them 
to  the  same  people  at  the  same  rate  of  profit. 
Sponges  and  Madrepores  with  various  shells,  lay 


46  AUSTRALIAN    WANDEEERS. 

scattered  upon  the  shore  of  this  interesting  islanl, 
which  was  evidently  a  frequent  resort  of  the  na- 
tives, for  tliej  found  various  traces  of  them,  some 
of  which  were  roots  which  they  were  apparently 
going  to  cook ;  also  a  spear,  the  shaft  of  which 
was  made  of  mangrove  wood,  and  was  seven  feet 
eight  inches  long.  The  lance,  or  head,  was  a 
sharp  splinter  of  quartz,  fastened  on  with  a  strong 
gum  and  plaited  grass ;  altogether,  in  a  skilful 
hand,  making  a  fearful  weapon.  Shoals  of  ^lullet 
played  round  the  island,  and  many  were  caught, 
cured  with  the  Trepang,  and  packed  in  barrels  fir 
future  use ;  and  a  bush  smelling  like  Rosemary 
awakened  all  the  home  feelino;s  of  the  Eng-lishman, 
going  as  far  back  as  when  his  nurse  used  to  wet 
his  hair  with  rosemary  tea,  to  make  it  thick. 

Provisions  were  fast  disappearing,  and  a  return 
to  Timor  was  contemplated ;  but  Captain  Spencer 
was  beginning  to  feel  interested  in  the  scenes 
which  opened  around  him,  and  he  deteinnined,  by 
going  ashore  more  frequently  with  his  gun,  to  de- 
lay the  return  as  much  as  possible.  He  knew  he 
could  procure  any  number  of  Rails,*  for  he  had 
seen  them  in  hundreds  when  last  ashore  ;  and  who 
could  tell  what  other  good  things  might  be  pro- 
cured ?  besides  which,  who  could  return  from  Au- 
stralia without  having  seen  a  Kangaroo  ?  The 
faitbiul  Charlie  came  back  in  the  evening  after  he 

*  Eallus  littoraJis. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  47 

had  been  let  loose,  and  at  sunset  liis  deep  voico 
was  heard  saying,  "  I'm  coming,  I'm  coming,  Ned 
Spencer  !"  so  it  "was  settled  that  he  should  in  future 
have  more  liberty,  for  he  had  perched  himself  on 
Ids  master's  shoulder  as  a  place  of  refuge,  and 
consequently  was  likely  to  return  to  him  on  other 
occasions. 

A  distant  but  violent  storm,  accompanied  by 
torrents  of  rain,  had  cooled  the  air ;  the  Trepang, 
Mullet  and  Oysters,  were  safely  stowed  away  in 
their  proper  places ;  the  schooner  returned  to  the 
main  coast,  and  Captain  Spencer,  finding  his  way 
ashore,  was  not  disappointed  of  the  Kails  which  he 
had  promised  himself ;  besides  these  he  procui'ed 
a  fcAV  species  with  shorter  and  more  feeble  wings,* 
and  he  loaded  Tiger  with  a  full  meal  for  days,  not 
only  for  himself,  but  all  his  crew.  The  grass  was 
of  a  better  sort,  and  the  Malays  laid  in  a  stock  of 
it  for  Tiger ;  so  that  all  seemed  to  prosper.  In 
some  places  he  met  with  sand  dunes,  where  vege- 
tation was  stunted,  and  the  only  thing  which  grew 
freely  there  was  a  pale,  pink  Convolvulus,  whose 
trailing  stem  was  an  inch  thick  and  thirty  yards 
long.  At  the  bottom  of  the  cliffs  was  an  abund- 
ance of  Oysters  -and  Neritoe  ;  and  a  curious  Sea- 
urchin,  with  hair-like  spines,  afforded  his  men  a 
feast ;  but  the  fishes  were  not  tempting,  being 
chiefly  of  the  Silurus,  or  Cat  kind,  which,  on  being 

*  Eulabeomis  castaneoventria. 


48     AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

taken  out  of  the  water,  made  a  singular  noise, 
and  showed  a  broad  back  of  silvery  green  and  a 
white  belly.  Several  small  hillocks  at  a  distance, 
and  smoke  not  very  far  off,  made  him  fancy  that 
he  saw  the  dwellings  of  natives,  but  on  looking 
through  his  telescope,  he  ascertained  that  the 
former  were  gigantic  ant's  nests. 

One  evening,  while  sitting  on  deck,  resting  him- 
self after  a  hard  day's  sport,  he  was  startled  by 
what  he  supposed  to  be  the  report  of  a  gun  at  sea, 
but  one  of  the  Malays  told  him  it  was  only  a 
Whale  at  play ;  and,  if  he  would  look  with  his 
glass  in  the  direction  whence  the  sound  proceeded, 
he  would  see  that  it  was  so.  Following  the  man's 
advice,  and  very  much  amused  at  the  idea  of  a 
playful  Whale,  he  beheld  several  fin-backed  Whales 
lashing  the  sea  in  sport,  suddenly  leaping  out  of 
it,  and  falling  again  with  a  noise  resembling  can- 
non. Ashore,  life  seemed  to  become  more  beauti- 
ful and  abundant :  the  Palms  told  that  they  were 
still  between  the  tropics,  the  Cycas  also  presented 
itself,  but  as  ye^  its  fruit  was  not  ripe  enough  to 
be  useful ;  the  Grevillea  Cancerina,  with  its  curved 
red  blossoms,  like  crab's  claws,  was  of  great 
beauty ;  and  flowers  from  bulbous  roots  were 
springing  from  the  earth  in  totally  new  shapes  and 
forms.  To  his  game  he  added  various  Pigeons, 
one  of  which  had  dark-blue  plumage  and  a  white 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  49 

head,  and  afforded  a  delicious  repast.*  For  tlie 
first  time  he  now  saw  a  Butterflj,f  which  had  a 
large  yellow  spot  on  the  upper  edge  of  the  upper 
wings.  White  Cockatoos  came  in  flights  over  his 
head,  and  he  brought  several  down  with  his  gun, 
so  that  the  stock  of  provisions  was  increased  be- 
yond the  apprehension  of  not  lasting ;  for  it  seemed 
as  if  he  had  only  to  go  ashore  to  procure  plenty. 
He  had,  however,  more  abundance  than  he  liked 
of  hornets,  small  scorpions,  snakes,  centipedes,  &c. ; 
and  flies,  the  greatest  of  Australian  torments,  of 
which  he  had  hitherto  had  but  a  gentle  warning, 
assailed  him  in  full  force ;  these  are  the  sand-flies, 
so  minute  that  they  are  not  seen,  but  which  lodge 
on  the  eyelids,  enter  the  nostrils,  mouth,  and  ears, 
and  cause  almost  unbearable  irritation :  his  poor 
horse  and  dog  snorted  and  sneezed,  rubbed  their 
heads  in  the  grass,  and  jumped  about  as  if  they 
were  mad.  At  last,  tired  out  with  these  tiny  pests, 
he  took  his  way  back  to  the  schooner.  Certainly, 
thought  he,  the  country  has  become  more  inter- 
esting ;  still  it  is  nothing  to  eyes  accustomed  to 
India ;  and  if  I  could  but  shoot  a  Kangaroo,  I 
would  go  back  directly.  As  he  walked  along  pon- 
dering on  the  past,  his  companions  followed ; 
Tiger  well  contented  to  stop  for  half  a  minute 
at  a  time  to  nibble  on  the  way,  and  Gip,  who 
always   assumed  her  master's  tone  of  mind,  was 

*  The  Wonga  Wonga.  f  Papilio  Stheneloua. 

5 


50  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

perhaps  also  pondering  on  the  past,  for  she  "WhlkeJ 
steadily  by  his  side,  only  pricking  up  her  ears  now 
and  then  as  a  frog  jumped  out  before  her  nose, 
and  occasionally  looking  up  at  Charlie  as  he 
S'woopiid  down  and  said,  "  Gip,"  to  show  he  was 
close  by. 

On  descending  the  cliff,  Gipsy  had  preceded  her 
master  a  little,  and  all  at  once  she  paused,  put  her 
head  first  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other,  and 
jumping  up,  commenced  a  most  outrageous  bark- 
ing. A  sharp  turn  disclosed  the  cause,  for  there 
Captain  Spencer  saw  two  of  his  men  amicably 
seated  on  the  shore  among  a  party  of  natives. 
The  latter  were,  although  somewhat  lanky,  very 
fine,  athletic-looking  men,  with  all  the  character- 
istics of  then-  race ;  but  nevertheless  there  was  a 
manly  bearing  about  them  which  prepossessed  the 
Englishman  in  their  favour.  The  head  and  nose 
were  large,  and  some  had  the  latter  pierced  for 
the  insertion  of  a  piece  of  wood  or  bone ;  the 
brow  was  very  prominent,  the  eyes  sparkling  and 
deeply  set ;  the  lips  full,  the  mouth  very  wide, 
the  hair  crisp,  and  frequently  tied  behind  in  a  sort 
of  club ;  the  shoulders  broad,  the  muscles  of  the 
arms  well  developed,  the  hands  and  feet  small  and 
well  shaped,  but  the  hips  also  small,  and  the  lower 
limbs  spare  and  slight.  Their  conJplexions  were 
brown,  approaching  to  black,  the  upper  parts  of 
their  bodies  were  tattooed,  and  the  scars  projected 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  51 

at  least  lialf  an  incli  from  their  bodies,  which 
made  a  very  ugly  appearance  ;  they  had  no  clothes 
whatever ;  the  older  men  had  had  one  of  their 
front  teeth  knocked  out,  and  several  of  them  were 
painted  with  black  and  white  earth. 

On  the  ground,  in  the  midst  of  the  group,  lay 
a  young  man,  whose  left  arm  was  very  much  swol- 
len, and  a  third  Malay  was  fomenting  it  with  rum 
and  water ;  they  could  speak  a  very  few  English 
words,  and  were  Avithout  weapons.  When  they 
heard  Gipsy  bark,  they  started  to  their  feet,  say- 
ing, "  Ho  !  ho  !"  and  then,  on  perceiving  Captain 
Spencer,  saluted  him  by  bowing  almost  to  the 
ground,  exclaiming  rapidly  and  shrilly,  "White 
fellow !  very  good."  When  Charlie,  however, 
mocking;  even  their  tones,  cried  "Ho!  ho!  I'm 
coming.  Come  back  again,  Ned  Spencer,"  they 
Beemed  perfectly  stupefied  with  alarm.  They 
stood  as  if  awed ;  and  when  Tiger  suddenly  ap- 
peared from  behind  the  rock,  their  fears  came  to 
•  a  climax,  and  all  fled  except  the  disabled  man,  who 
was  left  upon  the  ground.  Charlie,  however,  went 
on  board  the  schooner ;  one  of  the  Malays  took 
Gip  and  Tiger,  and  Captain  Spencer  proceeded 
to  the  relief  of  the  young  sufferer.  His  men  said, 
they  thought  they  could  understand  that  a  fall  had 
brought  him  to  this  condition,  and  the  swollen  arm 
was  broken.  After  bathing  it  for  about  half-an- 
hour  longer,  the  swelling  had  much  decreased,  and 


52  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

then  Captain  Spencer  found  that  the  upper  arm ' 
was  fractured,  and  that  the  poor  creature  had  aiso 
received  several  severe  bruises.  He  tried  to  en- 
tice the  other  natives  to  come  back  to  him,  and  as 
thej  gradually  recovered  their  alarm,  thej  ap- 
peared from  behind  the  rocks,  but  did  not  at  first 
approach ;  he  made  signs  to  them  that  he  would 
return,  and  then  went  to  the  schooner,  where  he 
tore  up  some  linen  into  bandages,  and  taking  his 
medicine-chest  with  him,  hastened  back  to  the 
shore.  Seeing  one  of  the  men  with  a  piece  of 
bark  in  his  hand,  he  asked  for  it ;  it  was  readily 
given,  and  he  proceeded  to  set  the  limb,  not  with- 
out trepidation,  it  is  true ;  but  he  had  more  than 
once  assisted  the  regimental  surgeon  in  such  ope- 
rations, and  he  tried  to  do  all  he  had  seen  done  on 
such  occasions.  After  putting  the  arm  into  its 
proper  position,  he  bandaged  it  with  a  double- 
headed  roller;  by  the  aid  of  a  strong  knife  he  cut 
the  bark  into  strips  in  imitation  of  splints,  and 
tied  these  pieces  on  with  some  string  which  he  had 
in  his  pocket :  taking  off  his  silk  cravat  he  con- 
verted it  into  a  sling  and  lodged  the  arm  in  it ; 
but  how  he  was  to  tell  the  natives  it  must  be  kept 
there  for  a  month,  he  could  not  imagine.  He  ad- 
ministered some  medicine,  rubbed  the  patient  all 
over  with  a  lotion,  and  made  up  some  powders 
which  were  to  be  taken  every  night.  He  closed 
his  eyes  and  laid  his  head  down  to  imitate  going 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  53 

to  sleep,  in  the  hope  of  conveying  an  idea  of  the 
time  of  swallowing  them ;  and  endeavoured  to 
make  the  longer  interval  comprehended  by  the 
help  of  the  Malays.  The  young  man  fixed  his 
large  eyes  upon  him  with  an  expression  of  grati- 
tude, and  his  friends  carried  him  away ;  but  be- 
fore they  mounted  the  cliffs  they  took  their  spears 
from  the  rock  in  which  they  had  hidden  them,  and 
besides  this  description  of  weapon,  each  held  a 
short  stick,  which  the  Malays  told  their  master 
they  used  in  throwing  their  spears. 

Very  little  water  at  a  time  had  been  procured 
at  this  place,  which  little  had  descended  to  the  sea 
through  a  fissure  in  the  rock.  Captain  Spencer 
therefore  ordered  his  men  to  steer  to  the  south- 
west, it  being  his  intention,  after  he  had  procured 
a  proper  quantity,  to  return  along  the  northern 
shores,  on  his  way  to  Timor.  As  the  schooner  re- 
ceded, the  natives,  who  had  been  watching  it  from 
the  top  of  the  cliffs,  danced  about  with  very  extra- 
ordinary gestures,  which,  the  Malays  said,  showed 
their  friendly  intentions,  and  bawled  out — "  Very 
good,  very  good  !"  till  their  visitors  could  no  longer 
hear  them  ;  upon  which  Charlie  made  a  little  ex- 
cursion in  the  air,  echoing,  "Very  good,  very 
good  !"  till  Captain  Spencer  shouted  with  laughter, 
in  which  the  bird  joined  with  all  his  power.  On 
the  whole,  these  men  were  favourable  specimens 
of  the  aborigines  of  Australia;  but  the  remark- 
5* 


54  AUSTKALIAN    WANDERERS. 

able  carriage  of  their  head  j^uzzled  Captain  Speit- 
cer ;  and  on  mentioning  it  to  his  chief  Malay,  the 
man  told  him  thej  were  obliged  to  keep  their  eyes 
nearly  shut  to  exclude  the  sand-flies,  and  therefore 
threw  back  their  heads  when  they  required  to  look 
at  anything.  Frequently  a  degree  of  suppuration 
was  caused  by  these  tiny  creatures  during  the 
night,  which  it  was  necessary  to  wash  off  the  next 
morning,  before  the  eyes  could  be  opened. 

The  schooner  again  anchored  close  to  an  island, 
about  a  mile  from  the  continent,  which  had  at- 
tracted Captain  Spencer  from  its  promising  appear- 
ance for  procuring  water.  It  Avas  formed  of  two 
ranges  of  cliffs,  with  a  valley  between ;  and  as 
they  were  to  stay  there  two  or  three  days,  the 
search  for  Avater  was  postponed  till  the  next  morn- 
ing. The  night  was  tranquil,  and  the  day  dawned 
with  a  splendour  which  gave  every  token  of  fine 
weather.  Two  of  the  Malays  went  ashore  before 
sunrise  to  reconnoitre,  and  met  with  traces  of  na- 
tives, for  whom  they  sought  in  all  directions.  They 
had,  however,  suddenly  decamped  at  the  approach 
of  the  schooner ;  but  the  marks  of  their  footsteps 
showed  the  way  to  a  pool  of  water,  and  the  mei? 
returned  for  implements  with  which  they  might 
enlarge  it,  and  after  breakfast  they  began  their 
work.  Captain.  Spencer  proceeded  to  examine  the 
island,  first  shooting  some  of  the  quails,  which 
abounded  there,  and  sending  them  back  to  the  ve* 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  55 

eel.  Aftei'  going  through  the  valley,  in  which  he 
saw  a  very  largo  and  vigorous  umbelliferous  plant, 
and  which  made  an  impression  on  him  by  being 
almost  the  only  one  of  the  family  which  he  met 
with  in  his  Australian  travels,*  he  and  Gip  scram- 
bled on  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  cliffs  to  look 
around  him.  There  he  found  an  enormous  nest 
built  upon  the  ground,  and  rising  two  feet  from  it ; 
the  branches  of  trees  and  collections  of  fragments 
in  it  would  have  filled  a  small  cart.  There  were 
no  eggs,  but  masses  of  seals'  hair,  and  that  of 
terrestrial  animals,  and  small  bones  of  quadrupeds 
and  birds.  He  stood  looking  at  it,  and  then  ex- 
claimed, "  It  was  an  eagle,f  then,  which  I  saw 
yesterday  soaring  over  my  head,  and  this  its  eyrie.. 
I  must  try  and  shoot  it,  for  I  should  like  to  take 
its  measurement."  From  this  point  Captain  Spen- 
cer, through  his  telescope,  saw  a  fresh  and  tempt- 
ing tract  of  land  on  the  opposite  shore,  and  de- 
scended to  get  ready  and  pay  it  a  visit,  in  doing 
which  he  disturbed  whole  flocks  of  sooty  terns,| 
noddies,  oyster-catchers,  and  sand-pipers,  which 
took  fright  at  him.  The  heights  seemed  to  have 
been  seldom  visited,  and  he  had  excited  an  immense 
commotion  among  the  winged  tribes,  whose  different 
characters  he  could  not  detect  in  their  hasty  flight. 

*  Azorella. 

f  Haliiietus  leucogaster  (Kaup.)  ,•  lehthyaetus  (Qould)- 

J  Onychoprion  fuliginosus  Anous  (Gould), 


56  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

Ordering  the  boat  to  be  made  ready,  Captain 
Spencer  breakfasted,  and  then  prepared  for  a  long 
and  last  excursion  to  the  mainland  while  in  this 
latitude.  The  men  were  to  make  sundry  repairs 
in  the  rigging,  and  clean  his  cabin  thoroughly  dur- 
ing his  absence,  and  were  also  to  catch,  salt,  and 
smoke  birds  and  fishes  for  the  ensuing  voyage.  He 
took  with  him  a  large  quantity  of  'ammunition, 
with  which  Tiger  was  chiefly  loaded,  and  he  hoped 
not  only  to  kill  the  eagle,  but  a  kangaroo,  the  ob- 
ject of  his  present  ambition.  On  leaving  India  he 
had,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  caused  holsters 
to  be  fixed  to  his  saddle,  and  into  these  he  now 
thrust  his  pistols  and  many  spare  charges.  He 
filled  a  bag  with  biscuit  and  dried  provisions,  and 
in  another  put  some  of  the  roasted  quails  which 
had  been  shot  and  cooked  before  breakfast ;  he 
slung  a  couple  of  tin  cans  full  of  water  by  a  leath- 
ern strap  across  the  saddle  ;  and  as  he  surveyed  his 
preparations,  said  to  himself,  "All  these  things  I 
mean  to  fill  with  game  when  I  return."  He  took 
his  gun  in  his  hand ;  a  short  sword,  an  axe,  and  a 
large  knife  were  stuck  into  a  belt  round  his  waist ; 
and  he  filled  his  pockets  with  odd  things,  such  as 
pincers,  and  several  boxes  of  copper  caps.  On  tho 
beach  he  found  Charlie  much  too  busy  picking  up 
insects  to  accompany  him,  and  who,  when  he  saw 
lis  master  going  away,  looked  up  at  him,  saying, 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  57 

"Good-bye,  Ned  Spencer;   make  haste  back  to 
Charlie — ha,  ha,  ha  !" 

The  shore  was  rocky,  and  the  surf  beat  high 
upon  the  fragments  of  rock  lying  at  the  foot  of 
the  bluff  which  the  traveller  nov/  approached,  and 
of  whose  lofty  proportions  he  could  only  form  a 
just  idea  as  he  approached  close  to  it.  It  was  a 
bold  headland,  at  least  five  hundred  feet  high,  con- 
sisting of  the  usual  red  sandstone,  interspersed 
with  granular  quartz.  Before  he  dismissed  the 
boat,  he  sought  for  a  track  by  which  he  might 
ascend  the  chff ;  and  after  some  difficulty  found  a 
part  that  was  accessible  to  such  good  climbers  as 
the  trio  now  together ;  then  telling  his  men  that 
he  would  fire  a  gun  from  the  top  when  he  wished 
to  go  again  on  board,  and  not  to  be  uneasy  if  he 
did  not  return  at  night,  he  and  his  companions 
scrambled  to  the  summit,  and  the  boat  and  her 
crew  returned  to  the  schooner. 

On  arriving  at  the  top,  the  air  was  so  fresh  and 
balmy,  so  laden  with  sweet  odours  from  an  exten- 
sively wooded  district  not  far  off ;  the  grass  was  so 
green,  the  country  was  so  chequered  with  rich 
yellow  patches,  which  were  evidently  the  flowery 
districts  of  abundant  vegetation,  that  even  flies, 
which  here,  as  elsewhere,  abounded,  were  disre- 
garded, and  the  telescope  was  lifted  to  the  eye  to 
ascertain  if  natives  were  near.  None  were  dis- 
covered.    Gipsy  jumped  and  barked  with  delight, 


58  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

and  Tiger  danced,  and  curvetted,  and  kicked,  and 
seemed  quite  inclined  to  run  off  altogether,  verji 
much  to  the  discomposure  of  his  mast(jr's  property 
on  his  back.  It  was  the  month  of  October,  the 
end  of  winter  in  those  latitudes ;  the  grass  was 
still  young  and  tender,  the  flowers  were  just  be- 
ginning to  come  into  blossom,  and  insects,  birds, 
and  all  living  things  seemed  to  rejoice  in  the  glo- 
ries of  creation.  A  large  eagle  was  performing 
circles  in  the  air,  probably  the  inhabitant  of  the 
eyrie  on  the  island,  and  it  caused  the  first  disturb- 
ance in  this  scene  of  beauty  ;  for  it  evidently  had 
an  intention  of  pouncing  on  poor  Gipsy,  who  was 
quite  unconscious  of  her  danger  till  the  eagle  sud- 
denly dropped  upon  her,  when  she  uttered  a  scream 
of  terror.  At  that  instant,  however,  the  unfailing 
aim  of  her  watchful  master  took  effect.;  and  the 
monstrous  birfl  rolled  upon  the  ground.  It  was 
not  quite  dead  when  Captain  Spencer  went  up  to 
it ;  but  a  blow  from  the  back  of  his  hatchet  put  an 
end  to  his  struggles,  and  he  longed  to  skin  it,  or 
at  least  to  preserve  its  beautiful  brov,n  and  banded 
•feathers.  He  could  only  draw  a  few  from  its 
graduated  tail,  stick  them  on  one  side  of  his  forag- 
jng-cap,  and  leave  the  body  where  it  was,  in  the 
hope  of  securing  it  on  his  return. 

Several   beautiful    Kingfishes*    flew   past   the 
sportsman  while  busy  with  the  eagle,  as  if  they 

*  Alcyone  pulchra  (Gould). 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  59 

had  been  relieved  from  the  fear  of  an  enemy,  and 
took  their  way  to  the  shore ;  they  were  of  a  new 
species  to  him,  and  were  of  a  brilliant  blue,  orange, 
and  red-wine  colour,  forming  a  contrast  to  a  sober- 
looking  Crow,*  which  now  came  forth  to  pick  up 
his  food  from  the  ground  ;  in  fact,  the  death  of 
the  eagle  seemed  to  form  a  jubilee  among  the  birds, 
so  many  now  issued  from  their  hiding-places,  and 
appeared  so  joyous  that  the  sportsman  could  not 
find  it  in  his  heart  to  disturb  their  happiness. 

Day  was  beginning  to  close,  when  exercise  and 
fresh  air  made  the  Englishman  hungry  ;  he  took 
the  load  from  Tiger  as  well  as  his  saddle  and  bri- 
dle, and  suffered  him  to  graze  at  pleasure.  There 
were  no  trees  near  enough  to  afford  shelter ;  and 
accustomed  to  bivouac  in  all  sorts  of  localities,  he 
and  Gip  seated  themselves  on  the  grass  where  they 
were,  and  ate  their  meal,  drawn  from  the  stock 
brought  from  the  schooner  ;  cold  quail  and  biscuit 
being  most  acceptable.  By  this  time  the  sun  and 
heat  of  the  horse's  body  had  warmed  the  water  in 
the  cans  ;  so  the  traveller  rose  and  followed  Tiger, 
whom  he  saw  drinking  at  some  distance  from  a 
Btream  which  flowed  through  the  grass,  and  fell 
into  the  sea  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bluff  to 
that  where  they  had  landed.  The  cans  were  re- 
filled there,  and  he  again  sat  down  to  rest.  A 
range  of  curiously-shaped,  flat-topped  hills  closed 

*  Corvus  coronoides. 


60  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

the  horizon  to  the  east ;  and  a  belt  of  dense  and 
dull-looking  forest  formed  the  southern  boundary 
of  the  landscape,  where  the  ground  seemed  to 
sink.  Not  a  trace  of  human  life  was  to  be  seen, 
and,  alas,  many  miles  had  been  walked  that  day, 
and  no  kangaroos  had  been  perceived.  Captain 
Spencer  swept  the  horizon  with  his  glass  to  fix  on 
the  direction  towards  which  he  should  bend  his 
steps  with  the  morning's  dawn,  for  he  almost  made 
a  vow  he  would  not  return  without  one  of  these 
animals.  Gipsy,  however,  had  been  much  more 
fortunate,  for  she  had  again  been  roaming,  and 
disappeared  among  some  thorny  bushes,  whence, 
in  a  few  minutes,  she  brought  a  small  animal  of 
the  marsupial  kind,  and  laid  it  at  her  master's  feet. 
It  was  a  Kangaroo-rat,*  which  she  had  nipped  in 
the  back  of  the  neck,  and  as  it  was  better  than  no 
kangaroo  at  all,  he  determined  to  take  it  to  the 
schooner. 

It  was  now  necessary  to .  look  for  some  spot  in 
which  the  party  might  pass  the  night  comfortably ; 
and  then,  for  the  first  time,  the  traveller  became 
conscious  that  an  alteration  in  the  weather  had 
been  gradually  taking  place ;  the  breeze  had 
dropped,  and  thick  masses  of  clouds  were  gather- 
ing all  round.  He  felt  that  a  storm  was  approach- 
ing, and  he  sought  for  some  shelter ;  he  saw  at  a 
distance  what  he  took  for  a  native  hut,  but  the 

*  Hypsiprymnus  or  Macropus  minor. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  ^1 

telescope  only  showed  an  ant-hill,  which  he  kne^v 
to  be  likely  to  crumble  and  overwhelm  him  on  such 
an  occasion ;  he  sought  for  bushes  under  which  he 
might  creep,  but  those  around  him  were  too  low 
to  do  him  any  good ;  he  then  proceeded  to  a  rising 
ground,  from  the  top  of  which  he  looked  around 
him.  A  still  more  heavy  mass  of  the  thick,  black 
clouds  had  gathered  in  the  north-west,  which  fore- 
boded a  fearful  tempest,  not  far  off  in  point  of 
time  and  distance.  It  was  getting  dark  more 
rapidly  than  usual,  from  the  loaded  state  of  the 
sky,  and  there  was  no  time  to  mount  J^iger  and 
seek  better  protection ;  so  he  returned  to  the  bot 
torn  of  the  hill,  placed  himself  on  the  lee  side,  and 
prepared  for  the  night  with  his  saddle  for  his  pil- 
low: he  carefully  secured  his  fire-arms  and  powder 
from  the  chance  of  getting  wet,  and  Gip  curled 
herself  round  upon  his  knees  ;  Tiger  trotted  up  to 
him,  laying  back  his  ears,  as  the  first  drops  of 
rain  fell,  and  cast  hipself  down  by  his  master's 
side,  who  rolled  himself  and  his  dog  in  his  cloak, 
spread  his  ample  mackintosh  over  them  all,  to  its 
utmost  extent,  and  prepared  to  endure  patiently 
that  which  was  unavoidable,  saying  to  himself,  it 
was  "  the  fault  of  those  rascally  kangaroos  that 
he  was  thus  exposed." 

Often  as  Captain  Spencer  had  spent  the  night 
in  the  open  field,  he  had  seldom,  if  ever,  encoun- 
tered such  an  one  as  this  proved  to  be,  in  so  de« 
6 


62  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

fenceless  a  state ;  and  his  great  fear  was,  that 
from  the  violence  of  the  hurricane  all  their  cover- 
ings would  be  •  stripped  from  them  ;  fortunately, 
however,  they  remained  firm,  thanks  to  the  shelter 
of  the  hill ;  but  the  lashing  of  the  waves  upon  the 
cliffs,  the  furious  lightning  which  ploughed  along 
the  ground,  the  roaring  of  the  mighty  thunder, 
the  sheet  of  Vain,  were  nothing  to  the  all-absorb- 
ing rush  of  the  wind.  Two  or  three  times  a  dull, 
crashing,  but  awful  sound  was  heard  during  a 
slight  lull  in  the  storm,  and  the  ground  shook  un- 
der the  Uttle  party,  disturbing  Tiger,  who  lifted 
up  his  head,  and  making  Gipsy  tremble.  "  Down, 
good  beasts,"  said  their  master  ;  "  you  at  least  are 
safe,  but  where  are  my  poor  men,  and  my  schooner, 
and  Charlie  ? — he  can  fly  to  land,  but  I  tremble 
for  the  good  Malays." 

After  hours  of  unabated  fury,  at  length  the 
storm  passed  over ;  and,  wearied  with  anxiety  and 
watching.  Captain  Spcncar  slept  till  the  bright 
sunbeams  darted  upon  him.  Rousing  himself,  and 
immediately  recollecting  all  the  past  e.vents,  lie 
hastily  swallowed  a  few  mouth fuls  of  food  to  give 
him  strength,  placed  all  his  effects  on  Tiger's  back, 
and  departed  for  the  shore.  It  took  him  some 
little  time  to  reach  the  edge  of  the  bluff;  the 
mists  which  rose  in  consequence  of  the  preceding 
rain  had  disappeared,  and  nothing  obstructed  his 
new  :  the  whole  place  was  clear,  and  the  schooner 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  C3 

was  not  in  sight.     "  She  stood  out  to  sea,"  thought 
he,  "  and  she  v^is  a  strong  little  craft.     She  may 
yet  he   safe."     He   fired  his   gun,  and  anxiously 
awaited  an  answer  :  not  a  sound  was  heard,  except 
the  dashing  of  the  waves,  swelled  hy  the  previous 
disturbance.       He   stayed   some   time,    anxiously 
looking  to   sea-ward,  both   with   and   without  his 
glass  ;  and  then,  full  of  melancholy  forebodings, 
he  slowly  bent  his  steps  backwards  and  forwards 
by  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  stopping  at  every  few 
paces  to  look  for  the  approach  of  the  vessel,  and 
firing  again  and  again.     Tiger  and  Gipsy  strayed, 
and  each  found  food  ;  but  their  master  was  too  full 
of    anxious   forebodings    to   think   of  eating ;    at 
length  he  determined  to  go  quite  round  the  head- 
land; but  ere  he  reached  it,  daylight  was  gone, 
and  that   memorable   6th  of   October  never  was 
erased  from  his  memory.     With  Gip  in  his  arms, 
and  Tiger  for  his  pillow,  there,  on  the  open  ground, 
listening  to  every  sound,  and  fancying,  each  time 
.he  dozed,  that  he  heard  the  cries  of  his  men,  lay 
the  soldier,  who  started  up  at  daybreak,  determined 
to  search  the  shore  itself. 

The  suspense  was  ended ;  for  that  morning's 
light  showed  him  the  sea  covered  with  the  frag- 
ments of  his  schooner:  he  raised  his  glass  with  a 
shudder,  and  felt  thankful  that  he  could  not  dis- 
cover a  human  form  among  them.  Following  the 
direction  taken  by  the  floating  wreck,  he  reached 


64    •  AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

the  extreme  end  of  tlie  bluff,  and  at  some  little 
distance  saw  a  well-worn  track,  doubtless  made  by 
natives,  wHch  led  to  a  much  easier  descent  to  the 
shore,  and  he  determined  to  follow  it ;  he  thought 
that  his  men  had  escaped  by  the  boat,  or  had  re- 
mained on  the  island,  or  were  perhaps  even  now 
waiting  for  him  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff.  As  he 
advanced  he  perceived  that  enormous  masses  had 
been  detached  from  the  top  of  the  headland,  and 
cautiously  peeping  over  at  the  first  point  where  he 
could  with  safety  plant  his  foot  on  the  edge,  the 
whole  dreadful  truth  was  revealed.  The  crew  had 
tried  to  escape  in  the  boat,  and  had  been  about  to 
shelter  themselves  on  the  further  side,  where  the 
fragments  (the  crash  of  which  Captain  Spencer  had 
heard  the  first  night)  had  fallen  upon  them  to  their 
utter  destruction.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  the 
stout-hearted  soldier  prevented  himself  from  fall- 
ing over  the  brink  of  the  cliff  in  his  agony  and 
horror ;  but  he  realed  back  a  few  paces,  and  then 
nerving  himself,  he  went  hastily  down  the  side, 
followed  by  Gipsy  and  Tiger,  who  both  seemed  to 
know  that  something  was  the  matter.  They  passed 
a  comfortable-looking  cave,  and  the  little  stream 
from  above  dripped  in  tiny  cascades  from  rock  to 
rock ;  but  Captain  Spencer  could  not  then  take 
much  note  of  such  things ;  he  set  his  foot  on  the 
flat  beach,  turned  round  a  sharp  angle  of  rock, 
and  beheld  two  of  his  men,  one  of  whom  was  tho 


.AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  65 

master,  lifeless  on  the  sand,  and  evidently  killed 
by  the  fallen  rocks,  for  their  bodies  were  dread- 
fully mangled ;  another  was  nearly  buried  under 
a  huge  mass,  and  the  other  two  had  disappeared 
altogether.  Pieces  of  the  boat  were  strewn  about, 
and  combined  with  those  of  the  schooner  in  telling 
the  tale  of  desolation. 

Tiger  had  started  at  the  first  glimpse  of  the 
master's  body,  and  would  not  advance  a  step 
further ;  Gip  ran  round  and  round  the  three  bo- 
dies, licking  their  faces  and  hands,  and  whining 
and  moaning  her  lamentations  for  her  good  friends. 
Her  master  stood  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  them, 
deploring  the  sudden  fate  of  his  good  and  faithful 
servants,  and  thinking  what  he  could  do  for  the 
burial  of  the  bodies.  He  tried  to  scoop  a  hole  in 
the  sand  by  means  of  the  broken  spars,  and  suc- 
ceeded with  two  of  them ;  but  he  was  unable  to 
move  the  third  from  under  the  superincumbent 
mass  ;  he  therefore  heaped  as  much  soil  upon  him 
as  would  cover  him ;  and  although  they  were  not 
fellow  Christians,  they  were  fellow  men,  and  he 
obeyed  the  impulse  of  his  heart,  by  repeating  as 
much  of  the  burial-service  of  his  Church  as  he 
could  recollect  over  them,  and  praying  most 
heartily  to  his  and  their  God.  This  exercise 
opened  the  heart  which  had  become  rigid  from 
grief  and  horror,  and  he  concluded  his  orisons  by 
fervently  expressing  his  gratitude  for  his  own 
6* 


66  AUSTRALIAN    WANDEREIIS. 

preservation.  Leaving  the  spot  with  a  more  tran- 
quilized  spirit,  he  retired  to  the  cave  which  he 
had  seen  on  his  way  down  to  the  shore,  to  ponder 
upon  his  present  situation,  and  to  form  plans  for 
the  future.  Tiger,  who  li;iil  made  an  ample  meal 
in  the  morning,  entered  the  cave  with  him,  and 
threw  himself  down  near  the  entrance  ;  and  Gip 
and  her  master,  after  convincing  themselves  there 
were  no  inhabitants  already  in  it,  took  pos8esfii&4 
of  the  interior. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Captain  Spencer  determines  to  start  for  Swan  River — Secures  ob« 
jects  from  the  wreck — Running  fishes — Attack  from  natives- 
Start  for  Swan  River — A  log  of  wood  converted  into  a  shovel — 
A  hawk's-bill  Turtle — Natives  touch  the  baggage — Frightened 
away — Natives  on  shore  taste  pickled  oysters — Put  on  Captain 
Spencer's  trowsers— Insects — Birds — Impression  of  a  cloven  foot 
with  a  spur — Flight  of  Parrakeets — Scrub — Captain  Spencer 
makes  a  grass  hat — Albatross — Haze  and  mirage — Berries — 
Snakes — Porpoises — Sea-shells — Meteor — Gannets. 

For  a  time  Captain  Spencer  sat  with  his  head 
buried  in  his  hands,  and  could  scarcely  realise  his 
own  position,  so  filled  was  he  with  grief  and  hor- 
ror at  the  loss  of  his  five  men,  drowned  as  it  were 
for  his  sake.  His  horse  and  dog  seemed  now  to 
be  of  double  value ;  and  as  he  sat  with  one  arm 
round  Gipsy's  neck,  it  occurred  to  him  that  Charlie 
had  not  made  his  appearance.  "  My  poor  Charlie 
too!"  he  said;  the  word  Charlie  was  repeated, 
and  he  started ;  but  as  all  was  again  silent,  he 
thought  the  sound  must  have  proceeded  from  an 
echo  in  the  cavern.  "All  dead!"  he  exclaimed, 
as  his  head  again  dropped.  "  All  dead  !  all  dead ! 
Charlie's  coming,  Ned  Spencer  !"  exclaimed  the 
bird,  and  thus  signified  his  escape.  He  hopped 
up  to  his  master,  who  hugged  and  caressed  him, 

(67) 


68  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

poor,  wet,  sandy,  and  miserable-looking  creature 
as  he  was,  as  if  another  dear  object  had  been  pre- 
served. The  bird  had  probably  been  frightened 
by  the  hurricane  to  take  refuge  in  the  cave,  or  had 
crept  out  from  under  the  masses  of  fallen  rock ; 
at  all  events,  he  was  overjoyed  at  finding  his  mas- 
ter and  his  companions.  Gip,  who  had  hitherto 
been  rather  jealous  of  him,  actually  licked  him; 
and  Tiger  raised  his  head  and  fixed  his  large  eyes 
upon  him  in  a  most  amicable  manner. 

This  circumstance  roused  the  energy  of  Captain 
Spencer,  and  the  necessity  for  immediate  exertion 
presented  itself.  The  desolate  nature  of  the  coun- 
try on  which  he  was  thus  cast,  the  dangerous  repu- 
tation of  its  inhabitants,  and  many  other  evils 
stood  before  him  with  almost  appaling  force ;  yet 
the  more  he  thought,  the  more  did  his  natural 
courage  and  piety  revive.  "  Shall  I,"  said  he, 
"who  have  faced  death  hand  to  hand  with  the  ene- 
mies of  my  country ;  who  have  fought  my  way 
through  ranks  of  foes,  and  held  England's  posses- 
sions against  a  besieging  army,  fear  a  handful  of 
rude  savages?  Nevertheless,"  added  he,  "they 
are  perhaps  more  formidable  because  they  are 
treacherous,  and  defy  the  laws  of  honourable  war- 
fare." Throwing  himself  on  his  knees,  he  again 
thanked  God  for  his  own  preservation,  and  prayed 
fervently  for  aid  and  support. 

Strengthened  and  refreshed  by  prayer,  the  wan- 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  69 

derer  began  to  consider  what  was  best  to  be  done. 
Three  ways  seemed  to  present  themselves,  one  of 
which  was  to  remain  near  the  coast  on  the  chance 
of  seeing  a  vessel ;  but  when  he  recollected  that 
all  the  time  he  had  already  been  there  he  had  not 
beheld  a  sail  of  any  kind,  this  was  rejected.     The 
second  suggestion  was  to  return  along  the  northern 
coast,  and  so  reach  Port  Essington  ;  but  he  fancied 
he  was  nearer  to  Perth  on  the  Swan  River,  and  if 
he  had  to  travel,  it  might  as  well  be  in  a  totally  new 
country ;  and  he  accordingly  decided  on  proceed- 
ing close  to  the  western  shore,  in  the  hope  of  per- 
haps seeing  a  vessel  which  was  going  to  that  port, 
or  at  all  events  reaching  that  settlement  in  some 
way  or  other.     His  chart,  his  sextant,  were  gone, 
he  had  nothing  but  his  compass  to  guide  him  ;  but 
he  deemed  it  an  easy  matter  to  steer  in  a  south- 
west direction,  which  must  lead  him  more  or  less 
near  to  the  last  mentioned  colony.     His  pocket- 
book,  containing  letters  of  credit,  was  sewn  inside 
his  waistcoat ;  and  the  latter  being  cashed  there, 
would  enable  him  to  take  passage  for  India. 

Captain  Spencer's  resolution  being  formed,  he 
glanced  at  two  of  his  companions  as  promising  to 
be  most  serAaceable  in  helping  him  through  his 
undertaking,  and  he  knew  that  his  unfailing  prow- 
ess as  a  shot  would  procure  him  food;  but  he  re- 
solved to  remain  Avhere  he  was  for  a  few  days,  to 
Bee  if  any  useful  articles  would  come  ashore  from 


TO  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

the  wreck,  especially  gunpowder  and  shot.  It 
seemed  to  have  been  like  foresight  that  he  should 
have  provided  himself  with  so  much  ammunition, 
and  made  so  little  use  of  it,  and  he  thought  if  the 
chest  did  not  come  up  he  had  still  enough.  His 
chief  diflSculties  would  be  want  of  water  and  cloth- 
ing ;  "but,"  said  he  in  a  more  cheerful  tone,  "  jou, 
my  poor  beasts,  obey  every  sound  of  my  voice,  and, 
please  God,  we  shall  get  through  our  troubles  ;  so 
let  us  try  to  sleep."  Thus  speaking,  he  stretched 
himself  on  the  ground,  and  the  four  were  soon  at 
rest ;  Charlie  having  perched  himself  close  by  on 
a  ledge  of  sandstone. 

Early  in  the  morning.  Captain  Spencer  took 
Tiger  to  the  top  of  the  cliff  to  get  his  food,  and 
then  descended  to  the  beach,  where  he  picked  up 
some  pieces  of  plank  and  brush-wood,  which  had 
been  driven  ashore,  and  setting  fire  to  them  with  a 
little  gunpowder,  he  contrived  to  make  a  hot  meal 
for  himself  and  Gip  of  some  quails  which  he  had 
shot  above,  though  he  felt  quite  sorry  to  pluck  off 
the  pretty  fawn,  or  reddish,  coloured  feathers  from 
their  breasts ;  he  stewed  them  in  one  of  his  tin 
cans,  and  ate  them  heartily,  in  spite  of  the  failure 
of  sauce  and  seasoning.  On  going  to  the  sea- 
shore a  multitude  of  objects  met  his  view  which 
would  be  very  useful,  and  among  others,  tuo  very 
large  pieces  of  tarpauling.  The  ammunition-chest, 
to  his  great  joy,  was  sticking  fast  in  the  sand ;  and 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  71 

having  the  key  in  his  pocket,  he  opened  it,  and 
found  the  powder  but  little  damaged ;  he  spread 
this  out  on  the  tarpauling  to  dry,  and  was  so  in- 
tently occupied,  that  he  scarcely  observed  the  pro 
gress  of  the  sun,  till  its  descent  warned  him  it  was 
time  to  collect  all  his  treasures,  and  take  them  to 
the  cave.  Among  the  latter  was  a  barrel  of  flour, 
which  he  also  emptied  and  dried ;  he  then  made 
some  cakes  of  it,  and  baked  them  on  hot  ashes,  as 
an  addition  to  his  evening  meal.  Tiger  had  several 
times  peeped  over  the  cliff  as  if  to  see  whether  he 
were  wanted,  and  at  sunset  trotted  down  the  path 
to  settle  for  the  evening.  Charlie  had  both  fed 
and  amused  himself  upon  the  beach,  but  not  ap- 
proaching too  near  the  water,  of  which  he  seemed 
to  have  an  instinctive  horror,  thereby  proving  that 
he  had  been  drenched  during  the  storm.  "  You 
must  be  turned  into  a  pack-horse,  Tiger,"  said  his 
master  ;  "  so  come  and  be  loaded  for  your  new 
oflBce."  The  docile  creature  stood  unmoved  as  his 
master  put  the  things  upon  his  back,  and  walked 
steadily  with  his  burden  to  the  cave,  where,  after 
being  unloaded,  he  laid  himself  down.  Captain 
Spencer  hearing  Gip  express  herself  in  impatient 
tones,  went  to  see  what  was  the  matter  with  her, 
and  found  her  pulling  with  all  her  might  at  the 
sleeve  of  his  thick  over-coat  which  had  hung  up  in 
the  cabin,  but  which  was  now  half-buried  in  sand. 
"  Good  dog,"  said  he,  patting  her  head,  and  the 


72     AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

efforts  of  both  freed  the  garment.  Then  putting 
it  under  one  of  the  cascades  to  wash  out  the  sand 
and  salt  water,  it  was  the  next  day  dried  in  the 
Bun. 

The  night  was  warm  and  tranquil ;  and  the  next 
morning,  on  returning  to  the  beach.  Captain  Spen- 
cer saw  a  number  of  fish,  which  appeared  to  be 
running  about  upon  their  elboAvs,  to  the  great 
astonishment  of  Gipsy;  and  he  could  not  help 
smiling  at  the  dog's  look  and  the  ludicrous  action 
of  the  fish,  with  their  three  free  spines  on  their 
head,  one  of  which  had  a  tuft  at  the  top,  their  gills 
like  a  hole,  and  their  lower  fins  looking  like  great 
splay  feet.*  They  were  about  nine  inches  long, 
and  ran  at  each  other  with  their  mouths  open ;  but 
the  moment  Captain  Spencer  came  up  to  them, 
they  all  at  once  disappeared  in  the  slimy  matter 
which  had  collected  round  the  mangroves  growing 
on  one  side  of  the  inlet.  Their  pectoral  fins  were 
supported  by  a  sort  of  arm  or  stem,  and  on  this 
part  they  walked,  the  fins  themselves  looking  like 
hands.  On  trying  to  catch  one.  Captain  Spencer 
saw  it  swell  itself  out  till  it  looked  like  a  ball  on 
four  feet,  of  a  yellowish  brown  with  black  stripes. 
Gipsy  seemed  to  think  that  she  was  also  come  to 
the  beach  to  look  for  Avhat  might  be  found,  and  ran 
about  with  her  nose  close  to  the  sand;  at  last  she 
Btopped  and  began  scratching  with  all  her  might, 
•  Cidroneotes. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  73 

and  her  master,  attracted  by  this,  came  to  her 
assistance.  To  liis  great  delight  he  found  it  was 
the  trunk  which  contained  his  clothes,  and  which 
lie  emptied;  but  as  he  carried  them  to  the  cave, 
and  saw  the  pile  of  articles  which  he  had  selected, 
he  was  sure  he  could  not  secure  them  all,  and  he 
was  losing  time,  and  uselessly  consuming  provisions 
to  linger  v^'here  he  was ;  he  therefore  discontinued 
his  search,  and  remained  at  the  cave  to  arrange 
his  property.  He  had  secured  some  needles  and 
balls  of  coarse  thread,  and  cutting  one  of  the 
sheets  of  tarpauling  into  pieces  of  sundry  dimen- 
sions, he  manufactured  bags  for  holding  gunpowder, 
flour  and  other  eatables,  cases  for  his  fire-arms, 
and  a  knapsack  for  himself  to  carry.  He  kept 
the  other  piece  of  tarpauling  entire,  as  a  water- 
proof covering  for  all  the  rest,  and  for  Tiger  in 
bad  weather,  to  which  he  fastened  strings  made  of 
untwisted  ropes,  thrown  ashore,  so  that  it  might 
be  tied  underneath  the  horse.  From  his  own 
clothes  he  made  what  he  thought  a  judicious  selec- 
tion of  shoes,  and  woollen  articles  of  dress,  linen, 
and  plenty  of  handkerchiefs  and  light  things, 
which  he  thought  might  conciliate  the  natives. 
He  hoped  that  the  tin  cans  would  convey  a  stock 
of  water  from  place  to  place,  and  he  hailed  with 
.considerable  joy  two  hams,  which  he  now  cooked, 
and  which  had  been  but  little  injured  by  immersion 
in  salt  water. 
7 


74  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

All  these  preparations  for  his  arduous  joumej 
occupied  Captain  Spencer  a  longer  time  than  he 
had  at  lirst  calculated  on,  and  five  days  had  elapsed 
before  he  thought  of  starting ;  during  which  time 
his  horse  and  bird  fed  as  usual,  and  he  caught  a 
sort  of  Guard-fish  ;  and,  besides  this,  met  with  one 
with  a  long  muzzle  like  a  Chelmar,  cockles,  and 
small  and  well-flavoured  oysters,  which  had  at- 
tached themselves  to  the  mangroves,  and  in  which 
he  often  found  pearls.  These  trees  were  not 
numerous  at  that  spot,  therefore  the  traveller 
was  not  injured  by  them,  but  became  still  more 
strengthened  for  the  long  route  which  he  had  t:- 
traverse,  and  which  he  contemplated  mth.  an  in- 
definable sadness,  in  spite  of  his  faith,  and  the 
excitement  which  new  adventures  bring  to  the 
young  and  courageous.  Gip  had,  during  the  last 
three  days,  taken  an  independent  walk  on  the  top 
of  the  cliffs,  and  each  time  brought  back  a  Kan- 
garoo-rat ;  thus  cheering  her  master  by  the  pro- 
mise of  her  future  services,  which  would  spare  his 
ammunition,  and  not  only  make  it  last  for  procur- 
ing food,  but  give  him  the  more  for  self-defence. 
Each  day  he  became  more  expert  in  cooking,  of 
which  all  soldiers  who  have  seen  service  know 
something ;  and  as  to  Charlie,  he  was  more  intel- 
ligent than  ever,  repeating  every  word  his  master 
spoke,  and   applying   his  phrases  to  all  circaia< 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     76 

Btances  which  were  similar  to  those  under  which 
he  had  learnt  them. 

The  night  before  he  left  his  quiet  retreat,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  was  awoke  by  a  low  growl  from  Gipsy, 
as  she  raised  her  head  and  pricked  up  her  ears. 
"Be  quiet,  Gip,"  said  her  master  ;  but  although  she 
did  not  move,  the  animal  continued  very  uneasy, 
and  now  and  then  gave  a  stifled  bark.  At  length 
Tiger  was  roused,  and  stood  uprighf  in  the  cave  ; 
and  on  seeing  a  sudden  disturbance,  Charlie  ex- 
claimed, "  What's  the  matter  ?"  Then  Captain 
Spencer  also  rose,  gun  and  pistol  in  hand,  which 
he  always  kept  loaded,  and  looked  out.  How 
many  dark  forms  he  saw  before  him,  and  on  the 
beach,  and  ledges  of  the  rock,  he  never  knew,  but 
the  moonlight  disclosed  a  formidable  number  who 
had  spears  in  their  hands.  They  advanced  ;  and 
two,  more  daring  than  the  rest,  came  close  to  the 
cave,  each  carrying  a  thick  heavy  club.  "  To  him, 
Gip  !"  said  Captain  Spencer,  and  the  dog  imme- 
diately seized  one  of  them  by  the  leg  ;  while  Tiger, 
who  seemed  to  understand  what  was  going  on, 
burst  out  on  his  hind  legs,  striking  all  within  his 
reach  with  his  fore-paws,  knocking  them  over  down 
the  rocks.  Those  who  were  behind  paused,  and 
Captain  Spencer,  who  only  wished  to  alarm,  called 
Gipsy  off,  and  fired  one  of  his  pistol-barrels  into 
the  air ;  the  bal '  whizzed  over  their  heads,  and 
they  retreated  ;  he  cautiously  looked  after  them, 


76  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

and  saw  them  hastily  making  their  way  upon  theif 
rafts  to  the  island,  with  their  double-bladed  pad- 
dles ;  and  he  concluded  that  they  had  discovered 
him  from  thence  by  the  smoke  of  his  fire.  "  This 
decides  my  departure,"  said  he  ;  "it  is  better  to 
go  before  they  have  recovered  from  their  fright, 
and  start  with  to-morrow's  dawn  ;  but  this  night  I 
and  Gip  will  watch." 

On  the  mcft-row  Captain  Spencer  packed  his 
things  in  as  small  a  compass  as  he  could,  eating 
his  breakfast  during  the  operation ;  he  carried 
them  to  the  top  of  the  cliff,  and  there  loaded 
Tiger,  who  was  an  apt  and  obedient  servant  when 
his  master  wanted  him ;  the  whole  of  the  load 
was  secured  by  the  tarpauling,  and  he  was  much 
amused  at  seeing  Charlie  seat  himself  on  the  top, 
sg^ying,  "Let  us  be  off;  all's  right."  No  more 
was  seen  of  the  natives,  even  from  the  height,  by 
means  of  the  telescope.  The  travellers  followed 
the  outline  of  the  coast,  except  where  its  deep  and 
frequent  indentations  rendered  it  more  expedient 
to  go  straight  across  the  projection.  Captain 
Spencer  had  lost  all  trace  of  the  day  of  the  week, 
and  consequently  could  not  distinguish  the  Sab- 
bath ;  but  as  far  as  prayer  and  praise  were  con- 
cerned, each  day  was  Sunday  to  him,  and  it  seemed 
as  if,  in  that  wild  country,  and  in  his  isolated  posi- 
tion, he  must  unceasingly  invoke  the  aid  of  his 
Heavenly  Protector,  and  admire  His   wonderful 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  77 

works.  To  all  who  have  read  Scripture,  it  is  in 
these  scenes  that  the  very  words  of  Holy  Writ 
rise  unconsciously  to  the  lips,  as- if  they  alone,  in 
their  grand  simplicity,  could  express  the  feelings ; 
and  those  who,  in  their  intercourse  with  their  fel- 
low-men, would  refrain  from  using  them  as  being 
irreverent  to  do  so,  find  themselves  involuntarih| 
speaking  in  the  language  of  the  Bible. 

The  steady  pace  at  which  Captain  Spencer  be* 
gan  his  long  march,  as  all  experienced  soldiers  do, 
made  Gipsy  walk  by  his  side  the  first  day,  and  the 
novelty  of  carrying  a  burden  curbed  the  dancing 
propensities  of  Tiger.  As  for  Charlie,  he  kept 
up  a  dignified  demeanour  at  first,  as  if  he  would 
not  interfere  with  the  grand  conveyance  which  he 
had  chosen  for  himself.  "  This  steadiness  is  too 
good  to  last,"  thought  Captain  Spencer,  as  he  took 
off  the  load,  and  prepared  for  rest,  dinner,  and 
siesta,  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  On  rising  to 
resume  his  journey,  he  examined  the  country  with 
his  glass,  saw  the  jagged  coast  on  one  side,  and 
on  the  other,  at  a  considerable  distance,  the  land 
seemed  to  be  more  covered  Avith  large  districts  of 
flowering  bushes,  and  here  and  there  a  patch  of 
untidy -looking  timber,  while  in  the  far-off  horizon 
some  hills  seemed  to  rise,  some  with  flat  summits, 
which  betokened  their  sandstone  formation.  Alto- 
gether, mind  and  eye  ached  with  the  immensity 
of  space  around  him,  some  of  which  he  had  tc 
7* 


lis  ACSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

traverse .  It  was  monotonous,  yet  it  was  grand ; 
but  the  apparent  absence  of  animal  life  was  op- 
pressive, and  he  thought  of  the  many  leagues 
which  he  must  journey  before  he  could  find  a  civil- 
ised companion.  A  few  birds,  eagles,  and  crows, 
and  others  which  were  strange  to  him,  were  high 
up  in  the  air ;  but  Avith  these  exceptions,  he  and 
his  unreasoning  companions,  as  they  are  called, 
seemed  to  be  alone.  He  had  read  something  about 
the  country  in  which  it  had  thus  pleased  God  to 
place  him,  and  knew  that  it  was  unlike  any  other 
in  its  features  and  productions ;  yet  he  hoped  that 
the  little  knowledge  which  he  possessed  of  natural 
history  Avould  be  of  some  help  in  procuring  suste- 
nance, for  he  thought  the  great  laws  of  creation 
must  be  the  same  everywhere.  As  he  stood  gaz- 
ing around  him,  and  absorbed  in  his  reflections,  a 
soft,  velvet-like  touch  upon  his  cheek  made  him 
start,  and  turning  round  he  saw  Tiger,  who  went 
up  to  one  of  the  cans  as  if  to  ask  for  water. 
"  What,  already  is  there  a  scarcity  ?"  said  his 
master ;  "  if  you  have  not  found  any,  I  must  let 
you  have  some  from  my  own  stock  ;  poor  fellow  ! 
it  is  lucky  that  Arab  horses  do  not  require  as  much 
as  others  do  ;  nevertheless,  instead  of  going  on 
now,  I  had  better  begin  to  look  for  some.  Come 
along,  Gip."  "I'm  coming,"  said  Charlie,  and 
flew  before  him.  He  directed  his  steps  towards  a 
clump    of    trees    covered    with   pale   yellow   and 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  79 

feathery  blossoms,  perfuming  the  air  with  their 
delicious  odour ;  they  proved  to  be  acacias,  which, 
from  growing  near  a  small  stream,  had  acquired 
greater  size  than  the  neighbouring  bushes  of  the 
Bame  sort.  These  bushes  were  also  beginning  to 
flower,  and  Captain  Spencer  concluded  they  must 
form  one  of  the  scrubs  described  as  so  formidable 
both  to  man  and  beast ;  he  stooped  down  to  ex- 
amine this  scrub,  and  found  that  no  description 
had  done  justice  to  its  inaccessible  nature  ;  it  was 
full  of  sharp,  woody,  and  branching  thorns,  often 
eight  inches  long,  frequently  crossing  each  other, 
and  he  thought  with  dismay  of  the  probable  neces- 
sity of  making  his  way  through  such  obstacles. 
There  was  water,  however,  under  the  trees,  and 
by  raising  the  turf  with  his  axe,  and  scooping  the 
earth  out  with  his  hands,  he  made  a  hole  big 
enough  to  enable  him  to  fill  his  cans  ;  and  calling 
his  companions  to  him,  he  resolved  to  remain  there 
all  night.  Then  Gipsy,  with  her  usual  sagacity, 
dashed  into  the  scrub,  and  brought  her  accustomed 
tribute  to  the  meal,  producing  two  or  three  rats, 
which,  as  usual,  were  good  to  eat. 

The  following  day  Captain  Spencer  strolled 
towards  the  sea,  in  the  hope  of  finding  something 
with  which  he  might  be  able  to  scoop  out  earth 
when  he  met  with  water  underground,  as  the  last 
had  been.  On  looking  over  the  cliff  he  discovered 
B,  log  of    wood  which  had  been  washed  ashore. 


80  AUSTKALIAN    WANDERERS. 

"  Why  should  I  not  shape  that  into  something  lik€ 
a  shovel  ?"  thought  he  ;  "  it  might  do  for  any  soft 
sort  of  soil ;"  and  he  determined  to  secure  it. 
Leaving  Gip  at  the  top,  where  he  stood  looking 
down,  whining  and  wagging  her  tail,  afraid  to  fol- 
low, and  yet  not  liking  to  stay  behind,  he  leaped 
from  ledge  to  ledge  of  the  rock  like  a  birdcatcher, 
till  he  reached  the  bottom.  The  log  was  too  heavy 
for  him  to  carry,  and  while  pondering  on  the  pos- 
sibility of  conveying  it  up  the  cliff,  a  much  more 
valuable  prize  saluted  his  eyes  in  the  shape  of  a 
huge  hawks-bill  Turtle.  To  dash  into  the  surf, 
push  it  ashore,  and  turn  it  on  its  back,  was  the 
work  of  two  minutes  ;  but  then  came  the  same  dif- 
ficulty as  had  puzzled  him  concerning  the  log. 
His  only  plan,  he  thought,  would  be  to  chop  both 
to  pieces  on  the  shore ;  but  during  the  time  this 
would  take,  he  dared  not  leave  his  packages  above 
unguarded.  In  this  dilemina  he  turned  his  head, 
and  saw  Gip  at  some  distance,  running  down  the 
cliff  with  ease.  "A  native  path,"  thought  he; 
*'  Tiger  shall  come  down  and  drag  them  up."  Gip 
jumped  with  delight  on  reaching  her  master,  and 
her  curiosity  was  excited  by  the  turtle.  Going  up 
to  examine  it  with  her  nose  close  to  the  creature, 
she  received  such  a  blow  fom  one  of  the  fins,  that 
she  thought  herself  killed.  On  recovering  her 
fright,  however,  she  became  very  angry,  and 
uttered  a  cry  of  such  mingled  fear  and  rage,  that 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     81 

her  master  could  not  help  laughing ;  he  took  her 
up  in  his  arms  and  soothed  her,  but  on  inviting  her 
to  battle  with  the  reptile,  she  hung  her  head  and 
tail,  and  crept  behind  him,  still  showing  her  teeth. 
Captain  Spencer  again  mounted  the  cliiF  in  order 
to  fetch  Tiger ;  and  looking  around  with  his  glass, 
he  was  so  convinced  of  the  absence  of  other  human 
beings,  that  he  thought  he  might  with  safety  leave 
his  packages,  with  the  exception  of  the  cans,  closely 
covered  with  the  tarpauling,  and  pass  the  day  and 
night  on  the  shore.     His  first  business  was  rudely 
to  chop  the  log  into  the  shape  of  a  shovel,  and 
with  the  chips  he  made  a  fire ;  he  then  chopped  off 
the  head  of  the  turtle,  and  the  fins,  and  these  he 
put  into  one  of  the  cans  with  some  water ;  he  di- 
vided the  upper  from  the  lower  shell,  and  to  his 
pleasure  found  the  turtle  full  of  eggs ;  he  put  the 
rest  of  the  flesh  into  the  can,  and  set  it  on  to  boil, 
while  he  strewed  some  of  the  hot  wood-ashes  on 
the  ground,  and  roasted  the  eggs  in  the  turtle's 
shell.     Gip  had  her  share  of  them  ;  and  the  whole 
party  went  to  rest.     Rising  again  at  break  of  day, 
Captain  Spencer  and  the  dog  invigorated   them- 
Belves  with  more  eggs,  and  prepared  for  remount- 
ing the  cliff.     Charlie  flew  into  the  air,  Gip  pre- 
ceded her  master,  and  Tiger  followed,  the  cans, 
the  turtle,  and  rude  shovel  slung  across  his  back 
by  the  pocket-handkerchiefs  and  cravat  of  Captain 
Spencer. 


82  AUSTKALIAN    WANDERERS. 

The  moment  the  dog  reached  the  summit  she 
began  to  bark  furiously ;  and  convinced  that  there 
was  something  wrong,  Captain  Spencer  cautiously 
raised  his  head  a  little  above  the  cliif,  and  saw  a 
body  of  natives,  armed  in  the  usual  manner,  ex- 
amining the  contents  of  the  tarpauling.  They  had 
paused  on  hearing  Gip  bark,  and  one  of  them  had 
raised  his  arm  in  order  to  spear  the  poor  animal, 
when  Captain  Spencer  sent  a  ball  flying  over  his 
head,  and  the  smoke  of  the  powder  went  into  the 
faces  of  all ;  then  freeing  Tiger  from  his  burden, 
and  springing  on  to  his  back,  he  leaped  into  the 
midst  of  them,  the  horse's  mane  and  tail  floating 
in  the  air,  and  he  firing  ofi"  a  bullet  from  the  second 
barrel  of  his  weapon.  "  Boyl  ya !  Boyl  ya !" 
screamed  the  natives,  running  away  with  the  utmost 
rapidity,  not  daring  even  to  look  behind  them ; 
Gip  went  barking  after  them,  and  Charlie  flew 
screaming  out,  "  I'm  coming,  I'm  coming  !  here's 
Charlie  !"  the  one  acting  in  the  defence  of  her  mas- 
ter, the  other  expressing  his  delight  at  a  noise  and 
bustle.  In  their  hurry  one  of  the  men  left  his 
throwing-stick  behind  him  ;  and  Captain  Spencer 
found  it  to  be  eight  feet  long,  smaller  at  both  ends, 
and  at  one  of  these  a  barb,  looking  as  if  made  to 
fit  the  spear.  Bj  its  side  lay  a  strong  cord,  made 
of  twisted  woody  fibres,  both  of  which  he  left 
where  they  had  been  lying,  after  they  had  under* 
gone  hia  examination. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  8S 

The  route  was  complete,  and  calling  Gip  oflF 
from  the  pursuit,  Captain  Spencer,  gave  way  to  a 
violent  fit  of  laughter,  joined  by  Charlie ;  but  it 
was  1  lesson  to  him  never  again  to  leave  his  things 
exposed  ;  and  as  he  watched  the  Australians  with 
his  glass,  and  saw  them  disappear  down  the  cliff  at 
a  distance,  most  thankful  was  he  that  they  had  not 
surprised  him  when  below. 

Some  days  elapsed  without  any  variety  of  inci- 
dent, the  wanderers  making  steady  progress,  and 
gaining  much  ground,  when  being  again  near  the 
edge  of  the  cliff.  Captain  Spencer  heard  some  of 
the  natives  chattering  below.  Lying  down  flat,  he 
peered  over,  and  was  highly  amused  by  watching 
their  proceedings.  There  was  a  numerous  party, 
and  among  them  some  women  ;  one  with  a  grass 
mat  tied  at  her  back,  from  which  peeped  out  .the 
head  of  a  child,  and  a  large  bag  in  her  hand  ; 
another  had  a  kangaroo-skin  cloak  over  her  shoul- 
ders, and  a  fire-stick,  which  was  a  hard,  tough 
piece  of  wood,  lighted  at  one  end,  but  not  blazing ; 
a  third  was  hugging  neither  more  nor  less  than 
Captain  Spencer's  valuable  Triton  tea-kettle.  On 
the  ground  lay  a  dog  with  a  long,  narrow  head, 
like  that  of  a  lurcher,  which  seemed  to  be  of  Ma- 
lay origin.  The  women  stood  quietly  looking  on, 
while  most  of  the  men  were  squatted  round  some 
object  which  was  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  making 
an  immense  noise.      Presently  several  put  their 


84  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

hands  to  their  mouths,  and  immediately  after  rose, 
spitting  and  stamping  their  feet,  and  the  jar  of 
pickled  oysters  came  to  view;  they  yelled,  they 
tossed  their  arms  up,  and  while  the  owner  was 
thinking  how  he  could  recover  his  oysters,  two  of 
them  took  the  jar,  and  threw  it  into  the  sea.  Nor 
was  this  all :  one  of  them  rose  from  the  ground, 
deliberately  placed  a  pair  of  Captain  Spencer's 
trousers  on  his  head,  which  occupied  the  seat,  while 
the  legs  floated  over  the  shoulders.  This  was  too 
much ;  rolling  himself  from  the  edge  of  the  cliff, 
he  gave  way  to  a  hearty  fit  of  laughter,  which 
being  echoed  by  Charlie,  caused  a  sudden  sensa- 
tion below,  and  he  heard  the  people  stealing  away 
with  voices  hushed  into  a  whisper.  They  were 
well-made,  dressed  their  hair  in  various  ways,  some 
decorating  it  with  feathers  ;  most  of  them  had  a 
nose  ornament ;  and  their  language  sounded  as  if 
it  were  very  melodious,  and  composed  of  words  of 
many  syllables.  Among  them  were  two  who  had 
a  much  lighter  complexion  than  the  others,  prob- 
ably owing  to  Malay  blood,  and  they  seemed  to  be 
the  chiefs  of  the  body. 

Fearing  a  re-action,  and  perhaps  a  surprise, 
Captain  Spencer  pushed  on  as  speedily  as  he 
could,  not  stopping  to  bivouac  in  the  middle  of  the 
day.  On  the  next  he  travelled  more  leisurely,  and 
watched  Charlie  pursue  a  butterfly  with  a  golden 
body,  green  and  blue  wings,  and  spots  like  black 


AUSTRALIAN     WAMDEilERS.  85 

velvet,*  which  he  vainly  tried  to  save  from  destruc- 
tion. Grasshoppers  chirped  so  loudly  at  night 
that  he  could  not  sleep,  and  he  took  that  oppor- 
tunity of  polishing  and  sharpening  his  shovel  with 
his  knife,  thereby  rendering  it  much  lighter  to 
carry.  While  so  occupied  he  heard  a  bird  with  a 
full  melodious  whistle,  slowly  uttering  five  or  six 
successive  half  tones;  but  he  could  not  get  near 
enough  to  have  an  idea  of  its  plumage.  Various 
Beetles  had  that  day  attracted  hhn,  one  species  of 
which  was  very  round,  of  a  yellow  brown,  and 
spotted.  The  fliesf  still  continued  to  distress  all 
except  Charlie.  Large  Cranes  had  more  than 
once  appeared  in  the  air,  a  flight  of  PigeonsJ  crossed 
over  the  scrub,  and  Quails  with  black  spots  on  their 
breasts,  and  some  curious  Ducks§  had  given  him  a 
large  stock  of  good  eatables,  in  the  preparation  of 
which  he  had  nov/  become  very  expert,  as  he  split 
and  roasted  them  on  hot  ashes :  a  greater  abun- 
dance of  animal  life,  especially  of  the  winged  kind, 
made  him  think  that  their  scarcity  hitherto  might 
have  been  occasioned  by  being  frightened  away 
from  the  coast  by  the  hurricane. 

The  impression  of  a  large  eleven  hoof  on  the 
short  turf  had  excited  some  sensation  in  Captain 
Spencer's  mind,  for  he  knew  that  no  animals  own- 
ing such  an  one  as  that  were  indigenous  to  Austra- 
lia.    Could  he  be  near  any  cattle  station  ?  sureN 

*  Prianiceps.  f  Paropsis. 

t  Gcophaps  plumifera.  g  Anias  semipalmata. 


8£     AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

there  were  none  so  far  north  as  he  was  then;  per- 
haps it  might  be  a  stray  bull  which  had  become 
wild,  and  had  thus  wandered.  He  settled  that  it 
was  so  in  his  own  mind,  but  yet  he  dwelt  on  the 
circumstance,  and  he  looked  for  it  again  and  again. 
A  piece  of  depressed  ground,  however,  settled  the 
question,  for  this  had  not  dried  since  the  rain  had 
lodged  in  it,  and  retained  the  marks  of  the  foot 
more  correctly  than  the  previous  print ;  he  now, 
therefore,  ascertained,  from  the  impression  of  a 
spur,  that  one  of  the  buffaloes  introduced  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  continent,  of  which  the 
Malays  had  told  him,  had  strayed  to  this  point,  and 
the  hope  of  soon  reaching  a  settlement  was  aban- 
doned. That  he  was  still  within  the  tropics  was 
rvidcnt  from  the  existence  of  some  Palm-trees ;  he 
diverged  from  his  path  to  go  to  them,  and  finding 
a  young  one,  he  cut  off  the  top,  and  boiled  and  ate 
it  for  his  supper  without  fear  of  its  indigestible 
qualities. 

Tired  of  always  seeing  tlje  same  things,  the  tra- 
veller longed  to  go  further  inland,  yet  he  dared 
not  do  so  to  any  extent,  from  the  fear  of  completely 
losing  his  way ;  he,  however,  came  to  an  enormous, 
round  projection  of  land,  and  determined  to  march 
straight  across  it.  In  doing  this,  however,  he  was 
annoyed  by  the  scrub  which  presented  itself;  no 
longer  Acacia,  but  Atriplex  of  the  most  matted 
and    entangled  kind.     It  was   like    navigating  to 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  87 

follow  any  track  in  which  the  mass  of  vegetatior 
was  thinned ;  but  now  and  then,  in  parts  which  had 
been  burnt,  and  consequently  cleared,  a  beautiful 
crimson  Kennedia  had  started  into  being.  Poor 
Tiger  was  much  wearied  by  lifting  his  feet  straight 
up  to  get  them  out  at  all,  and  then  stamping  them 
down  to  crush  the  stems,  and  obtain  a  free  footing. 
Now  and  then  a  beautiful  creeping  plant  would 
make  its  way  from  underneath,  in  the  shape  of  a 
yellow  papilionaceous  floAver,  which  Captain  Spen- 
cer believed  to  be  a  Dolichos. 

A  cloud  seemed  to  pass  over  the  travelling 
party,  when  Charlie,  who  had  been  flying  above, 
gravely  took  his  seat  on  the  top  of  Tiger's  back, 
muttering  to  himself,  "  All's  right !  all's  right !" — 
and  looking  up,  his  master  beheld  a  vast  flight  of 
Grass  Parrakeets  taking  a  direct  southerly  course, 
and  emigrating,  probably  in  search  of  food;  he 
fired  among  them,  and  brought  down  several ; 
though  it  grieved  him  to  destroy  such  pretty  crea- 
tures. "The  worst  part  of  my  present  life,'  said 
he,  "  is,  that  I  am  obliged  to  kill  so  many  innocent 
beings;  but  I  must  eat."  "Must  eat,"  echoed 
Charlie ;  thereby  confirming  the  necessity  of  the 
destruction. 

At  length  water  was  scarce,  and  Captain  Spen- 
cer was  again  obliged  to  seek  some  in  the  vicinity  of 
a  clump  of  green-looking  trees.  He  pushed  his  way 
to  them  as  well  as  he  could  through  the  scrub,  and 


88  AUSTRALIAN     "WANDERERS. 

then  made  his  first  acquaintance  with  one  of  the 
distinguishing  features  of  Australian  vegetation, 
for  thej  belonged  to  the  great  tribe  of  Myrtles  and 
the  genus  Eucalyptus,  of  which  there  are  so  many 
species,  gum-trees  as  the  settlers  call  them,  and  to 
which  other  English  names  have  been  also  given, 
according  to  their  fancied  resemblances  in  taste  and 
smell,  such  as  the  Peppermint  tree,  the  Mahogany, 
the  Box,  the  Paper  Bark,  &c.  Their  appearance 
was  peculiar,  and  the  trees  had  a  dull,  untidy  look, 
owing  to  the  manner  in  which  the  leaves  hung 
from  the  twisting  of  the  leaf-stalk,  which  caused 
them  to  present  their  edges,  instead  of  flat  surfaces 
to  the  observer.  The  bark  hung  in  picturesque 
festoons,  and  he  recognised  it  as  the  same  which 
he  had  applied  to  the  fractured  arm  of  the  man  on 
the  coast.  Under  the  trees  was  a  pool  of  Avater, 
which  had  evidently  been  visited  by  natives,  for 
the  edges  had  been  trodden  down  by  many  naked 
feet ;  but,  tired  of  the  scrub,  he  turned  again 
towards  the  shore,  Charlie  going  before  him,  and 
pursuing  a  curious  Dragon-fly*  with  a  bright  brown 
and  black  body,  and  an  appendage  to  its  tail  like 
two  small  leaves.  Hawk-mothsf  were  also  flying 
about  near  the  pool,  for  the  sun  was  fast  declining. 
The  moment  he  was  outside  the  scrub  he  threw 
himself  on  the  ground  to  rest ;  and  then  observing 
ihat  the  grass  was  very  long  and  silky,  it  struck 

*  Petalura,  t  Deilephila. 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.      89 

ftim  that  he  might  contrive  a  covering  for  his  head, 
which  would  be  cooler  and  lighter  than  the  hot 
cloth  and  leather  of  his  cap ;  and  he  consequently 
Belected  some  of  the  longest  blades,  and  endea- 
voured to  work  according  to  measurement,  some- 
what on  the  model  of  his  military  head-cover,  only 
he  was  decided  on  having  a  very  broad  brim  all 
round.  This  occupation  carried  him  far  into  the 
night,  and  intruded  upon  the  next  day ;  but  he  de- 
termined not  to  leave  it  till  finished.  Do  what  he 
would,  however,  the  crown  obstinately  assumed  a 
conical  shape,  and  so  added  to  his  height,  which 
was  already  six  feet,  and  the  brim  would  hang  and 
flap  about  his  face;  the  former  he  could  not 
remedy,  but  he  procured  some  long  thorns  from 
an  Acacia  tree,  and  weaving  them  into  the  brim,  it 
stood  out  wide  and  stiff;  moreover  he,  to  his  great 
satisfaction,  contrived  a  button  and  loop,  which 
fastened  it  up  in  front  at  pleasure ;  he  put  his 
eagle's  feathers  on  one  side,  and  flattered  himself 
that  he  looked  something  like  the  picturesque 
models  of  banditti  of  which  he  had  seen  drawings ; 
but  the  conceit  was  soon  taken  out  of  him,  when 
Gipsy  saw  him  put  it  on  ;  for,  fancying  he  was 
dressing  himself  up  for  fun,  she  ran  round  him, 
jumped  and  barked,  and  it  was  some  time  before  she 
could  be  quite  reconciled  to  this  new  head-dress. 
"  Gipsy,  you  are  no  judge,"  said  her  master,  as  he 
put  his  cap  into  his  knapsack ;  and  at  that  moment 


90  AUSTEALIAN    WANDERERS. 

Charlie,  whose  chase  had  been  very  successful,  flei? 
to  him,  saying,  "Ned  Spencer!  Ned  Spencer! 
ha!  ha!  ha!" 

Another  Albatross  was  seen  near  the  sea,  and 
this  time  came  near  enough  for  the  traveller  to 
perceive  that  it  had  a  rose-coloured  beak,  that  ita 
head  and  neck  were  of  a  deep  brown,  and  that  the 
dark  back  gradually  softened  into  white  under- 
neath ;  the  noise  which  it  made  was  like  that  of 
an  old  goose.  Gip  evidently  expected  her  master 
to  shoot  it ;  but  he  could  not  eat  it,  and  collections 
of  natural  history  would  have  been  very  cumber- 
some to  carry,  so  the  bird  passed  over  in  peace. 
On  the  same  day  a  thick  haze  came  over  the  sky, 
and  so  much  mirage  appeared,  that  he  saw  over- 
head the  distant  objects  to  which  he  was  coming, 
and  among  others,  at  what  distance  he  could  not 
tell,  a  deep  ravine  too  wide  to  cross,  and  which 
would  therefore  force  him  to  go  inland,  and  skirt 
its  sides.  At  night  a  heavy  dew  fell,  and  but  for 
his  mackintosh,  would  have  wetted  him  through ; 
and  when  he  had  lain  down,  and  covered  himself, 
Tiger,  and  Gip,  with  the  tarpauling,  he  was  amused 
at  seemg  Charlie  also  creep  under  it,  saying,  "I'm 
coming,  I'm  coming !"  All  four  formed  a  loving 
party,  and  he  felt  that  he  had  the  very  best  sub- 
stitutes for  human  companions. 

The  next  morning  Captain  Spencer  visited  the 
?liffs  before  he  turned  inland,  for  he  had  full  faith 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  91 

in  the  mirage,  though  at  what  distance  the  ravine 
might  be  he  coukl  not  teU.     On  going  there  he 
eaw  some  small  shrubs,  among  which  were  Acacias* 
of  a  new  description,  and  a  Pittosporum,t  loaded 
with  ripe,  many-seeded  berries,  which  Charlie  ate, 
and  therefore  his  master    followed  his   example, 
having  no  fear  of  their  being  poisonous.     Several 
snakes  were   near  them,   black    and   yellow,  and 
black  and  green,  which  glided  into  holes  in  the 
ground,    leaving    the   marks    of  their   undulating 
course  on  the  sandy  ground  of  which  the  cliif  was 
formed,  and  which  he  had  often  seen  before  with- 
out knowing  what  they  were,  thereby  finding  that 
they  were  numerous,   and  exciting  his  gratitude 
that  neither  he  nor  his  followers  had  been  bitten. 
Aland-slip  and  depression  tempted  Captain  Spencer 
to  go  down  to  the  sea-shore,  and  there  he  saw 
whales  at  a  distance,  and  porpoises  swimming  one 
after  the  other  in  such  a  manner  that  they  re- 
sembled the  drawings  and  prints  which  he  had  seen 
of  the  Sea-serpent,  and  he  could  scarcely  persuade 
himself  that  they  were  really  not  that  far-famed 
monster.     Again  did  he  catch  a  turtle,  which  Gip 
would  not  approach ;  and  again  did  he  bathe  with 
two   of  his    companions.     There   were  plenty  of 
different  kinds  of  shells  on  this  part  of  the  coast, 
and   among   them    he    recognised  Cypress,    Coni, 
Volutes,  and  Patellae,  also  some  encrmous  Venus'a 

•  A.  ligulata.  +  P.  oleifolium. 


j)2         austkalian   wanderers. 

Ears,*  one  of  which  he  formed  into  a  drinking 
cup,  and  another  into  a  strainer ;  from  the  former 
he  twisted  off  the  holes  through  which  the  inhabi- 
tant thrusts  its  tentacula,  and  filed  the  edge  quite 
smooth.  That  same  night  a  large  meteor  crossed 
the  sky  out  at  sea,  leaving  a  long  train  of  light 
behind  it,  and  exploded  into  a  shower  of  star-like 
sparks.  Numerous  Petrels  of  different  species 
hovered  about ;  and  the  next  morning  a  large 
flight  of  Gannets,  extending  many  yards  in  length 
and  breadth,  passed  along  at  the  rate  of  at  least 
thirty  miles  the  hour.  They  were  evidently  going 
to  the  south,  and  some  thousands  must  have  been 
there,  for  they  were  an  hour  and  a  half  in  their 
nassage  over  the  spot  where  Captain  Spencer  was. 
Charlie  sat  on  the  top  of  the  cliff  staring  up  at 
them,  and  muttering  to  himself,  and  when  the  last 
was  gone,  he  burst  into  a  loud  "  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !" 

From  this  point  the  party  proceeded  along  shore 
at  the  foot  of  the  deep  red  cliffs,  till  the  truth  of 
the  mirage  was  proved,  and  they  reached  the 
mouth  of  a  wide  inlet,  through  which  a  river  was 
flowing  to  the  ocean. 

*  Ealiotes  gigantea. 


CHAPTER  rV. 

Captain  Spencer  ascends  a  ravine — Flying  Foxes — Green  Antd— 
Hawks,  Pelicans,  Parrakeets,  and  cranes — Mullet — Porpoises— 
Pandanus — Nutmegs — Pigeons,  <fec.  — Mosquitoes  —  Sand-flies— 
Hears  natives — Dangerous  attack — Captain  Spencer  kills  a  man 
— He  is  wounded  by  a  spear — Beautiful  plain  and  lake — AVater- 
lilies,  Ac. — Residence  on  the  top  of  a  hillock — Native  graves — 
Sees  Kangaroos — Tiger  loses  a  shoe — Oats — Kangaroos — Skin 
prepared — Moccasins  made — Frilled  Lizzard — Gipsy  nearly  killed 
by  a  Python — Kites  and  other  birds — Cranes — Bitterns — Owls, 
Ac. — Sow-thistle — Falcon — Shrike — Cuckoo  —  Captain  Spencer 
rides  to  native  huts — Spear-heads — Circles  of  stones — Bower- 
tird — Gourd — Cray-fish — Captain  Spencer  rides  over  the  hills — 
Caves  like  temples — Paintings — Vampire  Bats — Carved  head- 
Kangaroo  —  Gouty  tree — Vitex — Crabs — Reed — Beetles  —  Fire- 
flies— Storm — Provisions  collected  for  journey — The  grass  hat — 
A  fresh  start. 

To  ascend  the  inlet  at  which  he  had  now  arrived 
on  one  side,  till  he  could  cross  the  river  flowing 
through  it,  and  then  return  towards  the  coast  on 
the  other,  seemed  to  Captain  Spencer  to  be  the 
only  feasible  plan  which  he  could  pursue ;  for  al- 
though he,  Gip,  and  Tiger  could  swim  well,  the 
current  was  immensely  strong,  and  the  bed  of  the 
river  full  of  rocks,  so  that  he  would  have  found  it 
difiicult  to  resist  being  carried  out  to  sea  by  the 
force  of  the  water,  and  certainly  the  light  Gipsy, 
and  Tiger  with  his  burden,  could  not  get  across. 
(93) 


94  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

The  idea  of  being  taken  by  this  ravine  into  a  new 
part  of  the  country  would  have  caused  no  regret, 
had  he  not  reflected,  that  as  yet  he  had  made  but 
little  way  in  the  many  leagues  of  distance  which 
he  had  to  traverse  ;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it, 
and  he  consoled  himself  with  the  prospect  of  see- 
ing the  interior  of  a  country  which  he  knew  to  be 
beautiful,  but  which  had  not  as  yet  presented  many 
of  its  charms  to  his  eyes.  He  retreated  for  the 
night  to  a  distance  from  the  mangroves,  and  only 
unpacking  what  was  absolutely  necessary  to  allay 
thirst  and  hunger,  he  wrapped  himself  in  his  cloak, 
and,  sheltered  by  the  cliffs,  the  whole  party  slept 
for  a  few  hours. 

The  next  morning,  even  before  the  sun  had  risen 
high  enough  to  light  up  the  western  ocean,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  was  ready  for  starting.  The  sea  was 
calm,  but  a  heavy  tide  foiling  in  shore,  gave  it  that 
ong,  heavy  swell,  which  conveys  an  idea  that  the 
fphole  of  our  planet  must  more  or  less  partake  of 
the  vast  movement.  None  but  a  very  rugged  path 
could  be  found  between  the  banks  of  the  river  and 
the  high  cliffs  which  bordered  them  ;  but  Tiger 
picked  his  way  through,  Gip  leaped  from  stone  to 
Btone,  and  for  a  time  Charlie  rode  in  his  usual 
place  on  the  top  of  the  baggage,  as  if  afraid  to 
trust  himself  out  of  sight  in  a  new  scene.  In 
their  passage  close  to  the  mangroves,  they  dis- 
turbed numbers  of   those  bats  which  are  called 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  95 

flying  Foxes.  *  and  wliicli  his  Malays  had  told  him 
were  good  eating ;  but  he  had  never  tried  them ; 
and  now,  as  they  flew  past  and  around  him,  their 
musky  odour  rendered  him  still  more  unwilling  to 
convert  them  into  food.  With  his  Indian  dislike 
to  mangroves,  he  hastened  on,  and  was  well  pleased, 
after  walking  for  two  hours,  to  find  that  they  alto- 
gether disappeared,  thereby  leaving  him  a  -wider 
path,  skirted  on  one  side  by  the  rushing,  tumbling 
river,  and  on  the  other  by  a  thick  belt  of  trees  of 
various  kinds,  which,  in  their  abundance,  frequently 
spread  their  branches  across  the  way,  to  the  dis- 
comfort both  of  master  and  horse  ;  for  when  they 
knocked  against  them,  a  swarm  of  green  ants, 
which  built  their  nests  among  the  leaves,  dropped 
upon  them  and  bit  them  severely.  According  to 
his  usual  custom,  when  anything  annoyed  Tiger, 
his  master  sought  to  relieve  him  from  it ;  but  there 
was  no  kind  person  to  perform  such  an  ofiice  for 
himself;  and  the  painful  attacks  of  these  little 
creatures  made  him  rejoice  in  the  brim  of  his  grass 
hat.  The  ears  of  Tiger,  however,  suffered  so  much, 
that  he  stamped  and  kicked ;  and  Captain  Spencer 
contrived,  when  he  rested  for  the  night,  to  make 
coverings  for  them  out  of  one  of  his  handkerchiefs, 
and  hanging  from  each  was  a  long  shred  of  the 
same  material,  which  he  hoped  would  also  keep  off 
the  flies. 

*  Pteropus  edulis. 


96  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

The  height  of  the  cliffs,  and  the  dense  vegeta- 
tion rendered  the  air  less  fresh  than  above,  but  it 
was  far  from  disagreeable  ;  these  heights  were  still 
composed  of  coarse  ferruginous  and  siliceous  sand- 
stone ;  and  from  the  foliage  numbers  of  beautiful 
parrakeets  rushed  out,  pursued  by  black-shouldered 
hawks  ;  and  from  the  former  Captain  Spencer  did 
not  hesitate  to  derive  two  or  three  meals.  Now 
and  then  a  row  of  pelicans,  with  their  solemn  looks, 
told  him  that  fishes  were  to  be  had  in  the  river ; 
but  these  heavy  birds  slowly  flew  away  at  his  ap- 
proach, wheeling  off  in  circles  near  the  ground, 
and  then  soaring  upwards.  Large  cranes*  also 
came  to  feed  by  the  water  side,  and  with  their  ac- 
customed fearlessness  of  man,  would  probably 
have  suffered  him  to  go  by  without  being  disturbed  ; 
but  when  Tiger  appeared  he  was  too  much  for  their 
courage,  and  they  flew  away  as  if  unwilling  to  go 
Plenty  of  mullet  in  the  river  explained  the  pres- 
ence of  these  birds,  as  well  as  that  of  some  wild 
ducks  resembling  teal ;  and  he  determined  to  fol- 
low their  example  of  having  fish  for  dinner.  Un- 
loading Tiger,  he  prepared  a  line  and  hook,  which 
he  took  from  one  of  his  jacket  pockets,  and  cutting 
a  pole  from  one  of  the  trees  for  a  fishing-rod,  he 
baited  the  hook  with  one  of  the  unknown  insects 
hovering  over  the  water,  and  seating  himself  on  a 
fragment  of  rock,  he  soon  captured  a  plentiful  siip- 

*  Ardea  antigone  (Native  companion). 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  97 

ply ;  and,  as  he  drew  tliem  out,  lie  observed  that 
they  were  of  a  much  paler  red  than  when  they 
inhabited  the  ocean.  Experience  had  not  taught 
them  to  avoid  man,  and  they  seized  on  his  bait 
with  avidity ;  but  on  hearing  a  great  splashing  at 
some  distance,  they  darted  away  with  the  utmost 
rapidity.  A  shoal  of  porpoises  had  just  arrived 
from  sea,  and  rapidly  advancing,  overtook  the 
hindmost ;  and  then  Captain  Spencer  knew  it 
would  be  in  vain  for  him  to  compete  with  his  finny 
rivals ;  so  while  Tiger  browsed  on  the  herbage 
growing  between  the  pieces  of  fallen  stone,  he 
made  his  fire,  roasted  his  mullet,  and  he  and  Gipsy 
enjoyed  an  excellent  repast. 

The  trees  under  the  cliffs  were  of  various  kinds ; 
but  the  Pandanus,*  having  the  air  of  a  palm-tree 
with  simple  fronds,  and  Nutmeg,t  were  the  most 
abundant ;  the  traveller  tasted  some  of  the  fruit 
of  the  latter,  and  found  it  very  insipid ;  but  it  was 
still  very  young,  and  in  this  sheltered  ravine  was 
probably  never  out  of  fruit  and  flower.  The 
brightest  and  most  exquisitely-coloured  parrots  and 
parrakeets,  displaying  all  the  most  brilliant  plum- 
age which  could  be  conceived,  filled  the  air  with 
their  cries  as  they  came  to  feed  upon  the  nutmegs  ; 
and  equally  beautiful,  though  not  so  gay,  were 
some  white  pigeons,  which  came  for  the  same  pur- 
pose.    Of  these   Captain  Spencer  secured  a  pro- 

*  Pandanus  podunculatus.  f  Myristica  insipida. 

9 


98  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

vision  for  himself  and  Gipsy.  Various  climbing 
plants  crept  up  the  trees,  and  the  bright  orange 
fruits  of  the  Pandanus,  having  attained  something 
like  maturity,  afforded  an  agreeable  refreshing 
pulp  at  the  bottom  of  each  scale,  in  the  manner  of 
the  scales  of  an  artichoke. 

Small  lateral  creeks,  or  rather  fissures,  now  and 
then  broke  the  monotony  of  the  vegetation,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  afternoon's  march,  the  party 
reached  a  circular  opening,  down  which  a  rivulet 
dropped  in  tiny  cascades.  The  water  of  the  river, 
though  drinkable,  was  still  a  little  brackish  ;  but 
this  was  deliciously  fresh,  and  here  Captain  Spencer 
determined  to  remain  the  whole  night.  Tiger  was 
freed  from  his  load,  the  fire  was  made  and  lighted, 
the  fiish  were  split,  impaled,  and  placed  over  it. 
Gipsy  lay  down  with  her  paws  crossed  to  watch 
the  operation,  and  Charlie,  who  was  always  near 
when  in  a  new  place,  perched  himself  upon  the 
rocks,  hopping  from  one  to  another  to  catch  his 
insect  supper.  The  birds  and  fishes  were  cooked, 
and  all  four  having  feasted  to  their  satisfaction, 
laid  themselves  down  to  rest  in  their  accustomed 
fashion,  as  much  covered  as  possible  to  avoid  the 
mosquitoes ;  but  the  first  heavy  sleep  of  fatigue 
over,  rest  was  gone,  in  consequence  of  their  old 
enemies  the  sand-flies.  Gip  adopted  her  usual 
remedy,  which  was  to  creep  under  the  coat  which 
she  herself  had  secured  from  the  wreck,  and  on 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  9tr 

whicli  her  master  generally  slept,  wliere  she  nestled 
with  one  paw  over  her  nose.  Poor  Tiger,  however, 
had  no  such  remedy,  and  started  and  fidgeted,  and 
at  last  stood  up.  Captain  Spencer  turned  up  the 
collar  of  his  coat,  and  buried  his  face  in  it,  but  it 
was  of  no  use ;  he  also  got  up,  and  tied  a  hand- 
kerchief over  Tiger's  nose  and  mouth,  and  en- 
veloping the  whole  of  his  own  face  in  another, 
and  tucking  his  hands  under  his  sleeves,  he  seated 
himself  with  his  back  against  the  cliff,  regretting 
the  heij;lits,  vlicre  at  lea^t  lie  had  been  free  from 
mosquitoes,  and  wishing  for  some  mosquito-gauze, 
through  which  he  could  have  seen ;  for  he  well 
knew  the  continued  torment  to  which  he  should  be 
liable  whenever  he  was  near  water.  During  his 
disturbed  sleep  he  fancied  he  heard  some  footsteps, 
and  Charlie  muttered,  Tiger  pawed  the  ground, 
and  Gip  withdrew  from  her  covering  and  barked ; 
but  no  molestation  followed.  In  the  morning, 
however,  to  his  great  annoyance.  Captain  Spencer 
discovered  that  there  was  not  only  a  well-trodden 
path  from  above  to  the  spot  where  he  had  passed 
the  night,  but  that  there  were  marks  of  recent 
footsteps,  which  proved  that  none  of  them  had 
been  mistaken. 

Hastily  swallowing  his  breakfast,  and  throwing 
to  Gipsy  hers,  while  he  saw  that  his  fire-arms  were 
in  good  order,  and  loading  Tiger,  Captain  Spencer, 
fearing  some  hostile  attack,  departed  early  from 


too  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

hiis  bivouac.  As  hours  passed  away,  and  fresh 
beauties  presented  themselves  to  his  view,  appre- 
liensions  of  evil  from  the  natives  subsided,  and 
laughing  to  see  how  Tiger  snorted  awaj  the  flies, 
and  Gip  rubbed  her  nose  in  the  bushes,  as  they 
walked  on  with  their  eyes  almost  closed,  according 
to  the  native  fashion,  he  had  some  thoughts  of 
resting,  when  Charlie,  who  had  been  occasionally 
flying  ahead  of  them,  quickly  returning,  exclaimed, 
"  Ned  Spencer !  Ned  Spencer !"  and  perched  upon 
his  master's  shoulder.  Advancing  a  few  paces 
into  a  spot  cleared  of  trees,  and  full  of  masses  of 
fiillen  cliff",  the  soldier  stood  opposite  to  his  ene- 
mies mounted  on  the  top  of  the  cliff",  and  awaiting 
his  approach.  They  were  headed  by  a  man  much 
taller  than  the  rest,  whose  face  was  painted  white, 
to  show  that  he  was  in  mourning ;  and  he  and  the 
others  had  their  spears  fixed  in  their  throwing 
sticks,  and  uttered  the  most  savage  yells.  They 
pointed  with  firce  gestures  towards  the  sea,  as  if 
ordering  the  stranger  to  return.  But  the  sight 
of  Captain  Spencer  with  Charlie  on  his  shoulder 
for  a  moment  astonished  them ;  and  the  bark  of 
defiance  with  which  Gipsy  greeted  them,  so  dif- 
ferent to  the  howl  of  their  own  dogs,  which  never 
bark,  arrested  them.  Then,  when  Tiger  appeared, 
they  fell  back,  and  evidently  talked  to  each  other 
ooncorning  the  whole  party;  and  wishing  to  con- 
ciliate. Captain  Spencer,  unable  to  find  anything 


AusTRALIi^r   wanderers.       101 

white  as  a  signal  of  peace,  broke  a  bough  from  a 
tree,  and,  hokling  it  up,  advanced  towards  them. 
Many  of  them  retreated  still  further ;  but  the  tall 
man  loudly  addressed  them,  with  passionate  ges- 
tures, on  which  they  screamed,  jumped,  bit  their 
beards  and  spat  them  out  again,  and  at  last  the 
chief  hurled  his  spear;  Captain  Spencer  avoided 
it  by  stepping  on  one  side,  and  thinking  that  he 
ought  now  to  show  his  power,  he  fired  one  ball 
from  his  pistol  over  their  heads.  As  it  whistled 
through  the  air,  they  stared,  and  endeavoured  to 
follow  it  with  their  eyes ;  but  they  stood  their 
ground ;  and  when  again  excited  by  their  head 
man,  a  shower  of  spears  was  about  to  be  hurled  at 
the  party,  when  the  able  marksman  paralysed  the 
aim  of  the  principal  person,  by  lodging  a  bullet  in 
his  arm.  Again  were  the  weapons  lowered,  and 
the  Englishman  tried  to  advance  ;  but  their  leader, 
in  a  still  greater  fury,  evidently  ordered  them  to 
throw  their  spears.  Springing  behind  a  piece  of 
rock,  the  traveller  saved  his  life  ;  but  one  of  the 
spears  carried  away  a  part  of  his  valuable  grass 
bat,  and  another  became  transfixed  in  the  load  on 
Tiger's  back,  who  raised  his  head  and  neighed 
lOudly,  while  Gipsy  continued  to  bark,  and  Charlie 
to  scream  overhead.  Now,  thought  Captain  Spen- 
cer, if  ever  a  man  were  justified  in  taking  away 
Jife  in  self-defence,  I  must  destroy  that  fellow ; 
and,  crouching  down,  and  resting  his  gun  upon 
9* 


102  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

the  rock,  lie  fired  at  the  tall  enemy,  and  sent  & 
bullet  into  his  heart.  The  man  instantly  fell,  and 
most  of  his  companions  crowded  round  him,  while 
two  or  three  again  hurled  their  spears.  The 
second  barrel  of  the  gun  sent  a  third  bullet  into 
the  leg  of  another  man,  and  then  all  crowded  in 
confusion  round  the  body  of  their  companion,  and 
went  away  as  quickly  as  possible  in  the  greatest 
state  of  alarm  and  distress;  at  which  time -Cap- 
tain Spencer  again  heard  the  syllables,  "  boyl-ya" 
muttered  in  an  under  tone. 

The  first  impulse  of  the  traveller  was  to  utter 
his  short  and  fervent  thanks  to  the  gracious  Pre- 
server of  his  life,  and  then  to  leave  the  spot  as 
quickly  as  possible.  On  turning  round  to  summon 
Tiger,  he  beheld  the  poor  beast  on  the  ground, 
and  in  the  greatest  alarm  he  ran  to  his  assistance. 
Anxiety  ^ave  way  to  joy,  when  he  found  that  this 
f;\ithful  friend  was  unhurt,  having  been  brought 
down  by  one  of  the  last  spears,  which  destroyed 
the  equilibrium  of  the  baggage.  After  reloading 
his  gun  and  pistol,  he  repacked  the  baggage,  and 
Tiger  was  as  ready  to  start  as  he  was.  Gipsy  had 
been  behind  the  rock  with  her  master,  and  so 
escaped  unhurt ;  and  Charlie  issued  from  a  hole, 
saying,  "  All's  right !  I'm  coming  !" 

Anxious  to  avoid  further  surprise.  Captain  Spen- 
cer endeavoured  to  find  a  way  of  getting  up  the 
cliflFs ;  but  this  being  impossible,  he   pushed  for- 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  103 

ward  at  a  brisk  pace,  and  went  on  without  stop- 
ping till  nightfall,  by  which  time  he  had  gained  a 
considerable  distance.  He  chose  a  convenient  spot, 
where  there  was  grass  for  Tiger,  and  he  and  Gip 
ate  cold  bird  and  flour-cake,  as  he  would  not  light 
a  fire  for  fear  of  discovering  his  whereabouts  to 
the  natives.  Then  he  discovered  that  he  was  stiff 
and  uncomfortable  from  a  slight  wound  in  the 
neck,  made  by  the  spear  which  carried  away  part 
of  his  hat.  Another  spear  had  made  a  deep  in- 
dentation on  the  surface  of  his  powder-flask,  and 
"this  hair-breadth  'scape"  seemed  to  promise  him 
that  he  should  be  allowed  to  reach  home,  regiment, 
and  friends,  in  safety.  He  kept  the  spears  which 
had  pierced  his  hat  and  upset  Tiger's  load,  think- 
ing they  might  be  useful  in  killing  quadrupeds, 
and  so  save  his  ammunition.  One  of  them  had  a 
head  of  stone,  deeply  notched  like  a  series  of  fish 
hooks  ;  and  had  it  entered  his  flesh,  could  not  have 
been  extracted  without  either  cutting  or  tearing 
him  terribly ;  the  other  was  headed  by  a  sharp 
piece  of  wood,  harder  than  the  shaft  of  the  spear^ 
He  bathed  his  wound  well  with  cold  water,  put  a 
Boft  handkerchief  over  it,  and  thus  alleviated  the 
pain  in  some  degree.  When  he  settled  for  the 
night,  and  had  time  to  think,  he  felt  greatly  dis- 
tressed at  having  been  obliged  to  kill  the  native ; 
and,  restless  and  feverish,  it  preyed  upon  him, 
although  it  had  been  necessary  for  his  own  preser- 


10-1        AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

vation.  Tiger  and  Gipsy  were  foot-sore  from  their 
forced  march,  and  he  suffered  them  to  sleep  in 
quiet,  while  he  watched  over  their  safety.  He  did 
not  know  if  Charlie  were  apt  to  talk  at  night,  or 
whether  the  disturbance  of  the  day  had  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  him ;  but  more  than  once, 
during  those  long  hours,  he  frequently  moved  his 
head  from  under  his  wing,  held  it  first  on  one  side 
and  then  on  the  other,  and  after  saying,  "  Such  a 
row  !  all's  right !"  went  to  sleep  again.  When  the 
morning  began  to  break.  Captain  Spencer,  rous- 
ing Gij)sy,  ordered  her  to  watch,  and,  quite  ex- 
hausted, he  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  and  slept 
soundly. 

Kefreshed  by  three  hours  of  good  rest.  Captain 
Spencer  and  Gipsy  breakfasted  upon  the  scraps 
of  their  now  scanty  stock,  and  all  proceeded  at  a 
steady  and  uninterrupted  pace  for  several  hours  ; 
at  that  time  the  cliffs  began  rapidly  to  decline  in 
height,  and  the  river,  though  still  broad,  became 
more  tranquil  in  its  course.  Anxious  to  get  out 
of  reach  of  the  mosquitoes  as  soon  as  it  was  prac- 
ticable for  Tiger,  Captain  Spencer  clambered  with 
him  and  Gip  to  the  top  of  the  cliffs  ;  and  on  arri- 
ving there  stood  for  some  minutes  in  silent  admi- 
ration of  the  beautiful  scene  disjjlayed  to  his 
observation.  A  large  plain  lay  below  and  before 
him,  in  which  the  river,  whose  course  he  had  been 
following,  spread  into  a  wide  basin  or  lake,  covered 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  105 

mth.  white  and  blue  water-lilies,  and  here  and 
there  a  head  of  the  pink  Nelumbium  in  the  midst 
of  them ;  its  banks  were  adorned  with  reeds  and 
flowering  plants  ;  the  long  grass  of  the  plain  was 
five  feet  high,  and  very  silky ;  and  small  hillocks 
and  beautiful  shrubs,  some  of  which  w^ere  in  flower, 
and  clumps  of  trees,  were  spread  over  the  surface. 
A  ridge  of  sand-hills,  with  whimsically-shaped 
heads,  looking  as  if  they  had  been  put  on  by  the 
hand  of  some  mighty  man  in  sport,  skirted  the 
eastern  part  of  the  plain,  and  their  sloping  sides, 
covered  with  verdure,  almost  reached  the  lake, 
making  this  park-like  country,  hitherto  untrodden 
by  the  foot  of  the  white  man,  seem  to  be  a  plea- 
sure-ground; a  dense  forest  to  the  south  closed 
the  horizon  in  that  quarter. 

On  descending  into  the  plain,  Tiger  could  not 
resist  nibbling  the  delicious  bearded  grass,  and  her 
master  could  not  help  laughing  at  Gipsy,  who 
jumped,  and  played,  and  tumbled  among  the  long 
blades,  and  yet  never  got  out  of  them,  till,  know- 
ing how  tired  the  poor  little  animal  was,  he  placed 
her  on  the  top  of  his  knapsack,  while  he  sought 
for  the  best  spot  in  which  to  find  a  resting-place. 
He  made  his  way  toward  the  hills,  in  order  to  get 
ibove  the  region  of  water  and  mosquitoes  ;  and 
where,  on  something  like  an  eminence,  he  could  see 
around  him,  and  detect  the  approach  of  enemies. 
No  traces  of  natives  having  been  recently  there 


106        AUSTRALIAN    WANDEKEIiS. 

could  be  found  ;  and  he  concluded  those  with  whom 
he  had  had  his  late  encounter  had  not  taken  that 
direction. 

On  the  way  to  the  hill  a  place  had  been  cleare( 
amongst  the  grass,  and  a  mound  of  earth  wa3 
seen,  ornamented  with  small  sticks,  some  painted 
with  red  horizontal  marks,  and  others,  which  had 
been  scraped,  had  the  shavings  twisted  round  them. 
At  a  short  distance  from  this  were  two  heaps  of 
stones  ;  and  taking  a  large  one  from  the  top  of  the 
lowest,  and  peeping  in.  Captain  Spencer  discov- 
ered a  skeleton ;  he  covered  the  hole  again,  and 
concluded  that  all  three  mounds  were  graves,  and 
looking  round  him,  thought  he  saw  some  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  neighbourhood,  in  the  long 
grass,  at  a  great  distance.  Notwithstanding  his 
late  encounter,  he  always  hoped  to  be  friends  with 
these  people,  and  knew  if  he  could  overcome  the 
first  hostile  feeling,  he  should  probably  succeed, 
for  all  savages  act  from  impulse,  and  this  once 
gone  by,  they  will,  generally  speaking,  listen  to 
amicable  overtures.  Whether  men  or  any  other 
animals,  however,  the  dark  moving  objects  which 
he  saAV  suddenly  disappeared. 

Captain  Spencer  had  chosen  the  highest  hillock 
he  could  find,  and  thought  it  would  be  a  com- 
manding position  from  which  he  could  watch  the 
approach  of  an  enemy.  It  was  easy  of  ascent, 
&nd  on  reaching   the  top  he  first   surveyed   the 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        107 

country  around  with  his  glass,  and,  to  his  great 
delight,  those  which  he  thought  were  men  again 
leaped  up,  and  proved  to  be  kangaroos.  Here, 
then,  all  his  preconceived  notions  of  Australia 
were  to  be  realized ;  and  forgetting  dangers,  sava- 
ges, mosquitoes,  and  all  disagreeables,  he  said  to 
his  weary  companions,  as  they  toiled  up  the  hill, 
"  Cheer  up,  boys  !"  "  Cheer  up,  boys  !"  was 
echoed  by  a  voice  over  his  head ;  Charlie  caught 
the  lively  tone,  and  again  and  again  bade  them  all 
be  cheerful.  For  a  moment,  however.  Captain 
Spencer's  pleasure  was  clouded  by  seeing  Tiger 
walk  as  if  he  were  lame,  and  apprehensively  he 
examined  his  feet.  Fortunately,  however,  it  was 
nothing  more  than  the  loss  of  one  of  his  shoes  ; 
so  when  the  horse  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  hill, 
he  took  oflF  the  rest,  and  tied  them  carefully  to- 
gether, thinking  he  would  present  them  to  some 
native,  who  would  be  glad  of  the  novelty,  and 
Tiger  must  in  future  go  bare-footed. 

On  the  top  of  the  hill  an  irregular  surface  pre- 
sented itself,  and  in  one  of  the  depressions  he  saw 
a  hole ;  fearing  that  it  might  harbour  some  beast 
or  reptile.  Captain  Spencer  thrust  a  spear  into  it, 
and  found  that  it  was  a  cave  of  small  extent,  and 
would  form  a  safe  hiding-place  for  all  his  baggage 
when  he  wished  to  quit  it,  and  might  be  easily  made 
to  conceal  it  by  covering  the  mouth  with  grass  or 
bushes.     The  area  of  the  whole  summit  was  quite 


108         ArSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Bufficient  for  his  purposes  of  rest  and  cooking 
The  most  urgent  necessity  now,  however,  was  to 
allay  hunger,  and  Tiger  being  unloaded,  began  to 
satisfy  his  appetite  on  the  long  grass,  while  hia 
master  examined  the  state  of  his  larder.  "  These 
bones  must  do  for  Ub  to-night,  Gip,"  said  he,  "for 
I  am  too  tired  to  get  anything  else,  and  to-morrow 
we  will  be  afoot  early  and  shoot  a  kangaroo.  We 
shall  have  a  glorious  stock  of  provisions  before  we 
go  further  south ;"  then  beating  the  grass  all  round 
to  dislodge  any  unwelcome  companion,  he  fright- 
ened away  some  beautiful  lizards,  and  frogs  of 
brilliant  colours,  and  in  a  short  time  the  whole 
party  was  asleep,  with  a  feeling  of  security  which 
made  their  slumbers  more  refreshing. 

Early  the  next  morning,  by  means  of  the  shovel, 
the  hiding-place  was  comjileted,  and  Tiger  having 
descended  the  hills,  and  Charlie  started  on  his 
foraging  excursion,  Captain  Spencer  and  Gipsy 
took  their  way  in  search  of  kangaroos.  The  atten- 
tion of  the  former  was,  however,  immediately 
arrested  by  a  tract  covered  with  a  yellowish  grass, 
and  on  approaching  it,  he  found  that  this  was  a 
sort  of  oat,*  and  not  only  would  it  afford  the  most 
invigorating  food  for  Tiger,  but  yield  meal  and 
cakes  to  his  master.  Although  he  had  not  had 
any  breakfast.  Captain  Spencer  turned  his  "sword 
into  a  reaping-hook,"  cut  some  down,  and  calling 

*  Panicum. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  10^ 

Tiger,  placed  it  on  liis  back  and  bore  it  to  the  bill, 
where  he  spread  it  to  drj  upon  his  large  piece  of 
tarpauling.  Gip  took  to  her  usual  hunting,  and 
had  already  caught  and  devoured  her  former  food, 
the  kangaroo  rats ;  and  munching  some  of  the  oata 
as  he  went  along,  the  traveller  again  started  in 
quest  of  his  long-wished  for  spoil,  this  time  guiding 
Tiger  to  the  spot  where  he  might  feast. 

Turning  to  a  small  tree  which  grew  like  a  young 
elm,  but  which  had  a  dark-green,  pointed  leaf,  he 
cut  it  down  for  fire-wood.  The  timber  was  very 
hard,  and  dark  inside,  with  a  white  rim  outside  it 
an  inch  in  thickness  ;  and  leaving  it  to  take  up  at 
his  leisure,  he  pursued  his  way  to  the  kangaroos, 
from  which  he  had  been  twice  diverted;  Charlie 
flying  up  to  him  occasionally,  and  talking  like  a 
child  from  happiness. 

Tall,  dark  figures,  some  of  which  were  at  least 
nine  feet  high,  raised  their  heads  from  out  of  the 
grass,  and  the  wary  sportsman  stopped;  then 
making  a  circuit,  and  keeping  his  dog  close  to  him, 
he  made  good  his  way  to  some  trees,  near  which 
the  kangaroos  were  feeding.  Again  did  the  kanga- 
roos prick  up  their  ears,  and  again  did  their  enemy 
pause  ;  but  as  they  seemed  inclined  to  make  off,  he 
fired  at  the  nearest,  and  it  lay  dead  upon  the  plain. 
The  report  of  the  gun  made  the  whole  herd  de- 
camp at  their  utmost  speed,  and  Gip  started  after 
them,  not  in  the  least  daunted  by  their,  to  her, 
10 


liO    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

unusual  appearance,  or  their  novel,  leaping  gait; 
ehe  sprang  after  them  like  a  mad  thing,  and  fas- 
tening upon  the  ear  of  the  smallest  and  hinder- 
most,  she  there  hung.  The  poor  bewildered  beast 
made  for  a  tree,  and  placing  its  back  against  the 
trunk,  kicked  with  his  hind  legs.  Had  not  Gipsy 
attacked  it  on  one  side,  she  would  probably  have 
been  torn  to  pieces  by  the  strong  nails  of  the  kan- 
garoo ;  but  she  kept  fast  hold  till  her  master  came 
up  to  her,  and  with  his  knife  killed  the  animal,  as 
if  he  had  been  a  deer-slayer.  He  was  puzzled 
what  to  do  with  this  abundance  of  game ;  but  call- 
ing Tiger  to  him  with  all  the  force  of  his  lungs, 
the  good  steed  heard,  and  galloped  to  him  at  full 
speed ;  then  laying  one  portion  of  the  spoil  on  his 
back,  Captain  Spencer  walked  by  his  side  to  the 
hill,  and  repeated  his  journey  for  the  second 
kangaroo.  Charlie,  however,  who  had  heard  his 
summons  to  Tiger,  had  also  come  to  him,  and 
placing  himself  on  the  top  of  the  last  kangaroo, 
screamed  out,  "  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  all's  right !" 

The  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in 
skinning  the  kangaroos,  and  cooking  their  flesh,  that 
it  might  keep  the  longer,  for  which  Captain  Spen- 
cer's only  resource  lay  in  the  tin  cans,  into  which 
he  put  large  pieces  of  his  game,  and  boiled  it. 
The  kangaroos  belonged  to  the  species  which  has 
a  nail,  and  a  tuft  of  hair  at  the  end  of  the  tail.* 

*  Macropus  unguifer. 


AUSTRALIAN      SVANDERERS.         Ill 

"And  now,"  said  he  to  himself,  "when  I  havo 
killed  an  Emu,  I  shall  be  happy  to  quit  Australia 
the  next  morning."  "  The  next  morning,"  echoed 
Charlie,  "ha!  ha!" 

For  some  time  had  the  traveller  seen  with  dis- 
may that  his  shoos  were  wearing  out ;  and  now 
that  he  found  the  kangaroo  leather  to  be  thick  and 
pliant,  it  occurred  to  him  that  if  he  could  but  pre- 
pare it,  he  might  make  some  moccasins  and  stock- 
ings, and  shoes  would  thus  be  supplied.  There  is 
no  telling  how  much  may  be  done  when  the  inven- 
tion is  sharpened  by  necessity ;  so  he  dug  a  hole 
near  the  lake,  into  which  the  water  soon  rose,  and 
throwing  some  pieces  of  bark,  procured  from  the 
neighbouring  trees,  into  it,  he  steeped  the  skin 
with  them,  to  imbibe  the  tannin  which  they  yielded, 
and  let  them  remain  there  for  some  days ;  then 
taking  them  out,  he  stretched  them  on  the  ground, 
fastening  them  down  with  pegs,  and  he  scraped  and 
beat  them  till  they  became  perfectly  soft  and  even. 
By  these  means,  which  he  adopted  as  long  as  he 
stayed  by  the  lake,  he  acquired  a  valuable  stock 
of  leather,  which  was  of  more  use  in  many  ways 
than  he  at  first  anticipated. 

There  was  no  end  to  the  treasures  which  the 
plain  and  its  neighbourhood  afibrded,  and  Captain 
Spencer  determined  to  profit  by  them  to  the 
utmost:  he  made  a  flail  with  two  pieces  of  stick, 
fastened  to  each  other  ¥  ith  a  thong  of  leather,  and 


112  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

threslied  his  oat-grass  ;  he  then  procured  two  large 
stones  from  the  range  of  hills,  with  which  he 
ground  the  seeds  into  meal,  Charlie  helping  him- 
self very  often  during  the  process ;  and  on  this 
occasion,  when  he  reached  the  hills,  Gipsy  gave  a 
muffled  bark,  and  jmaping  away  from  what  she  had 
seen,  ran  to  her  master,  and  asked  him,  as  well  as 
she  could,  also  to  behold  the  strange  sight.  It 
was  another  remarkable  lizard,*  of  even  more  sin- 
gular appearance  than  any  he  had  yet  met  with; 
its  colour  was  a  yellowish  brown,  variegated  with 
black ;  its  small  eyes  were  placed  in  a  ridge  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  head ;  the  eye-lids,  and  indeed 
the  whole  animal,  were  encased  in  scales  of  various 
sizes,  which  more  or  less  projected,  and  a  scalloped 
frill  began  at  the  back  of  the  head,  and  extended 
along  the  sides  of  the  neck,  reaching  as  far  as  the 
chest ;  it  stood  upright  when  Gip  approached,  was 
supported  by  several  cartilaginous  spines,  which 
proceeded  from  the  tongue-bone,  and  the  outside 
of  it  was  clothed  with  scales.  When  Gipsy  went 
away,  this  strange  appendage  was  contracted  into 
five  plaits,  and  lay  like  a  tippet  upon  the  shoulders  ; 
the  tail  was  twice  as  long  as  the  body,  and  the 
claws  of  the  feet  were  hooked.  It  did  not  avoid 
the  approach  of  the  strangers,  as  if  it  trusted  in 
its  frill  as  a  sure  defence ;  and  for  a  long  time  did 
Captain  Spencer  examine  this  creature  as  nearly 

*  Chlamydosaurus  KinglL 


AUSTRALIAN     W  A  N  D  E  R  E  p,  S  .  113 

as  he  could,  and  regret  that  his  drawing  materials 
had  heen  lost  in  the  schooner. 

At  length,  shouldering  the  stones,  Captain  Spen- 
cer turned  towards  his  temporary  abode,  and  as  he 
continued  for  a  time  to  skirt  the  foot  of  the  hills 
he  hoard  an  agonised  shriek  from  Gipsy,  who  was 
behind  him.  Turning  his  head,  he  to  his  horror 
saw  the  faithful  creature  almost  enveloped  in  the 
folds  of  a  Python.  -  Twice  had  the  reptile  twisted 
itself  round  the  body  of  the  poor  dog,  who  was 
almost  breathless  from  fear  and  pressure ;  but 
quick  as  thought  her  master  dropped  the  stones 
which  he  was  carrying,  and  being  an  accomplished 
killer  of  serpents  in  Indian  fashion,  he  knew  what 
to  do  in  Australia,  and  struck  the  Python  on  the 
tail  with  his  axe,  so  as  instantaneously  to  render  it 
powerless.  It  was  then  easy  to  release  Gipsy,  and 
deprive  the  snake  of  its  head  as  well  as  its  tail ; 
and  taking  the  poor  dog  up  in  his  arms,  he  felt  her 
all  over  with  the  greatest  anxiety,  fearing  that 
some  of  her  bones  might  be  broken ;  but  his  suc- 
cour had  been  timely,  and  she  was  not  seriously 
hurt.  She,  however,  trembled  excessively,  and 
licked  her  master's  hand  incessantly.  He  left  his 
pieces  of  stone  for  the  time,  and  carried  her  to  his 
abiding-place,  rubbing  her  as  he  went  along ;  he 
there  laid  her  down  on  his  coat,  and  he  did  not 
leave  her  till  she  was  fast  asleep.     It  was  many 

days,  however,  before  she  recovered  the  squeeze 
10* 


114  AUSTRoLIAX    WANDERERS. 

and  the  alarm,  and  often  awoke  in  a  fright,  looked 
up  m  her  master's  face,  and  repeated  her  caresses. 
It  was  still  longer  before  she  would  hunt  again  ; 
and  he  left  her  constantly  to  keep  guard  over  the 
baggage,  at  first  taking  care  not  to  go  out  of  hear- 
ing, in  case  she  should  announce  the  arrival  of  visi- 
tors, and  be  too  frightened  to  defend  herself. 

Finding  that  he  and  Gipsy  could  not  devour  two 
kangaroos,  while  they  were  good,  when  he  pro- 
cured others.  Captain  Spencer  cut  the  meat  into 
strips,  and  dried  it  in  the  sun;  a  plan  which 
answered  perfectly,  and  by  which  means  he  had 
always  materials  in  store  for  a  capital  stew.  He 
also  met  with  very  small  marsupial  animals,  re- 
sembling mice,*  which  aflforded  much  sport  to  Gipsy 
when  she  was  well  enough  to  catch  them,  and  which 
he  split  open,  and  dried  with  the  kangaroos. 

The  number  of  birds  which  frequented  the  beau- 
tiful spot  where  Captain  Spencer  sojourned,  would 
have  kept  his  gun  in  constant  requisition,  had  he 
not  sought  to  spare  his  powder  and  shot  as  much 
as  possible,  even  seeking  for  small  stones  to  supply 
the  place  of  bullets,  so  much  did  he  fear  to  be 
without  them  in  case  of  an  attack  from  the  natives, 
who,  though  unseen  by  him,  he  was  sure  were  not 
very  far  oif ;  for  he  frequently,  when  he  looked 
towards  the  hills,  saw  thin  columns  of  smoke 
ascending  above  them.     With  the  Kites,  and  other 

•  Acrobata  pygmsea. 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.    115 

birds  of  the  kind,  he  often  had  a  regular  fight  at 
meal-tiine ;  thej  tried  to  snatch  the  meat  from  his 
hands  ;  and  he  now  and  then  amused  himself  by 
throwing  pieces  of  it  into  the  air,  an.l  seeing  them 
catch  it  as  it  fell.  Then  the  noise  and  struggling 
between  them  was  almost  deafening  ;  and  on  these 
occasions  Charlie,  who  had  been  taught  to  abuse 
his  brother  birds,  would  creep  into  the  hole  in  the 
hill,  saying,  "Great  rogues!  great  rogues!"  A 
few  Grows  would  hover  about,  but  they  did  not 
openly  snatch  their  morsels ;  and  slily  coming 
round  at  the  back,  dragged  them  away,  if  they 
were  for  an  instant  laid  down.  Many  flights  of 
Cockatoos  came  into  the  plain  to  feed  on  the  nu- 
merous and  beautiful  Orchidee  which  grew  there ; 
and  never  did  they  pass  overhead  without  exciting 
Gipsy's  anger.  They  seemed  to  be  her  particular 
aversion,  for  which  Captain  Spencer  could  not  ac- 
count, till  he  recollected  that,  not  long  before  they 
left  Bombay,  she  had  had  an  encounter  with  a  tame 
one  belonging  to  a  lady  friend,  in  which  combat 
Gip  was  by  no  means  victorious. 

Several  species  of  Crane  frequented  the  shores 
of  the  lake,  in  which  were  numerous  fishes.  One 
had  white  plumage ;  but  the  most  common  was  a 
very  large  species,  which,  when  he  was  close, 
walked  familiarly  up  to  the  stranger,  and  even 
3ufi'ered  his  caresses,  but  which  instantly  took  flight 
whenever  Tiger  appeared,  who,  as  soon  as  he  de- 


116  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

Bcried  his  master  in  the  plain,  danced  up  to  bid 
him  welcome ;  it  was  of  a  pale  gray,  with  a  red- 
dish  tinge  on  the  head.*  The  Snipes  there  were 
large ;  and  it  was  most  entertaining  to  see  the 
Plovers  use  the  spurs  on  their  wings  when  they 
had  a  battle  with  the  Crows  and  Kites.  Water- 
hens  and  Divers  frequented  the  lake ;  Musk  Ducks 
with  their  strong  odour,  others  like  Sheldrakes,! 
Shovellers,  and  also  common  Teal.  One  sort  he 
watched  till  it  roosted  in  trees,  swinging  itself 
backwards  and  forwards,  and  whistling  in  a  pecu- 
liar manner.-  He  surprised  a  Bittern  among  the 
reeds,  and  then  could  not  resist  the  impulse  to 
shoot  it  for  supper;  some  exquisite  little  grey 
birds,  like  Reed-warblers,  always  flew  out  of  the 
rushes  as  he  approached ;  and  at  night  he  distin- 
guished the  almost  noiseless  flight  of  the  Goat- 
sucker, with  its  soft  plumage  ;|  while  a  melancholy 
Owl§  worried  him  with  its  hootings. 

The  oatmeal  cakes  had  been  made  over  and  over 
again,  and  no  Scotchman  could  have  had  more 
pleasure  in  munching  them  than  Captain  Spencer 
and  Gipsy  enjoyed,  while  Tiger  revelled  in  the 
grass,  which  waved  like  rye,|j  and  for  a  time  was 
always  to  be  seen  in  its  vicinity,  when  his  master 
required  him.     For  two  days,  however,  he   had 

*  Ardea  reetirostris.  •(•  Tadorna  Rajah. 

J  Podargus  brachypterus;  §  Athene  boobooh. 

U  Panicum  laevinode. 


AUSTKALIAN    WANDERERS.  117 

moved  away  to  auotlier  place,  and  at  night  sliowed 
Byinptoms  of  having  eaten  a  little  too  much.  This 
excited  his  master's  curiosity :  and  going  to  him 
on  the  third  day,  he  found  him  devouring  the  com- 
mon sow-thistle*  Avith  as  much  avidity  as  if  he  had 
been  an  European  horse  ;  when  he  called  him,  he 
only  looked  around  and  neighed,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  I  shan't  come ;"  but  instantly  repenting,  he  trotted 
up  to  his  master,  and  put  his  nose  into  his  neck. 
"Your  coat  shines,  old  fellow,"  said  the  latter, 
*'  as  it  used  to  do  in  India,  although  I  do  not  often 
curry  you ;  but  you  grow  enormously  fat,  and  I 
must  take  a  few  rides  upon  your  back  to  keep  you 
a  proper  size,  and  fit  to  travel ;  so  mind,  to-morrow 
we  Avill  have  a  ramble  to  the  other  side  of  the  hills, 
that  I  may  see  what  lies  beyond."  That  same 
evening,  as  Gip  and  her  master  were  taking  their 
meal,  Charlie,  who  always  hovered  about  near 
home  at  that  time,  and  closed  the  day  by  having  a 
long  talk  with  Captain  Spencer,  gave  a  sort  of 
scream  over  his  head,  and  calling  out  his  name, 
dropped  on  to  his  knees,  and  hid  himself  under 
his  jacket.  Gip,  who  was  lying  with  a  piece  of 
kangaroo  between  her  paws,  started  up ;  but  her 
amazement  was  still  greater  when  she  looked  down 
again,  for  her  meat  was  gone.  Charlie  had  been 
pursued  by  a  powerful  falcon,  with  a  white  head 
and  n'?ck,  which,  disappointed  of  its  living  prey, 

*  Sonchus. 


il8  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

had  snatched  the  morsel  from  the  dog.  "  Toler- 
ably  impudent,  that,"  said  Captain  S])encer  ;  "  if 
I  settled  here,  what  a  falconry  I  would  have  !" 
Charlie  was  too  much  frightened  to  learn  his  les- 
son, and  his  master  spoke  to  him  in  vain ;  but  he 
was  surprised  to  hear  himself  in^itated  in  another 
quarter ;  he  paused  to  listen,  and  then  he  heard 
the  calls  of  different  birds,  and  now  and  then  a 
shrill  whistle  ;  he  himself  whistled  in  various  tones, 
which  the  bird  repeated,  even  catching  the  tunes 
he  uttered,  and  then  giving  a  few  of  its  own  clear, 
rino-incr  notes.  It  came  again  and  again :  and 
when  he  had  recovered  his  agitation,  this  excited 
Charlie's  jealousy.  He  exerted  himself  to  the 
utmost  to  out-do  his  rival,  and  as  soon  as  it  began, 
he  tried  to  drown  its  sounds  by  his  own.  He  at 
last  fled  in  a  rage  to  the  tree  where  it  was,  and 
frightened  away  a  Shrike,  as  big  as  a  Thrush,  of  a 
dull,  brownish  black,  and  a  white  bar  across  its 
wings.  This  was  a  daily  amusement ;  the  human 
whistler  generally  giving  the  signal  Avhen  he  com- 
menced his  supper,  and  each  bird  trying  which 
could  follow  him  best.  The  Shrike,  however, 
never  seemed  to  catch  words  very  distinctly.  Birds 
of  splendid  plumage  were  to  be  seen,  which  were 
wholly  new  to  the  traveller  ;  and  Pigeons  of  singu- 
lar beauty  abounded.  One  had  bronzed  wings, 
nnd  another*  resembled  a  quail  in  size  and  habits, 

*  Geophaps  plumifera. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  119 

ran  along  the  ground,  had  a  long,  pomted  crest, 
and  fed  in  families  of  eight  or  tAvelve.  One  of 
the  Cuckoo  tribe*  looked  something  like  a  pheas- 
ant, but  had  two  toes  before  and  two  behind,  like 
a  parrot;  it  climbed  trees,  and  as  it  ran  in  the 
grass,  made  a  noise  like  whir-r-r-r.  Multitudes  of 
Swallows,  Finches,  aiiC.  other  kinds  hovered  round 
the  traveller's  resting-place,  to  pick  up  the  grass- 
seeds  and  scraps  which  had  accidentally  fallen : 
and  seeing  this,  he  scattered  some  on  purpose,  by 
which  means  he  gathered  round  him  all  the  feath- 
ered tribes  of  the  neighbourhood ;  and  sometimes, 
while  they  were  scrambling  for  their  morsels, 
Gipsy's  aversions,  some  black,  some  white,  with 
scarlet  and  sulphur  crest,  some  rose-colour,  and 
accompanied  by  Parrots  and  Parrakeets  of  rain- 
bow hues,  all  dashing  in  among  the  lesser  birds, 
would  assert  the  right  of  the  strongest,  and  bear 
away  their  prizes.  On  all  these  occasions  Charlie 
was  evidently  very  much  annoyed,  and  hopped  up 
to  his  master,  repeating,  "Great  rogues!  great, 
scoundrels,  Ned  Spencer  !" 

In  pursuance  of  his  design,  Tiger  was  one  morn- 
ing desired  to  stop  and  feed  at  home,  and  received 
an  unusual  portion  of  cleaning  from  his  master ; 
Lhe  saddle  and  bridle  were  put  on,  and  when  Cap- 
tain Spencer  mounted  on  his  back,  he  capered  and 
danced  about  half  mad  with  delight,  while  Charlie 

*  Cuculus  phasianus. 


liO  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

flew  overhead  laughing  with  all  his  might,  till  ihs 
Shrike  began  to  imitate,  and  then  he  flew  away, 
muttering  about  rogues  and  scoundrels.  The  first 
point  to  which  Captain  Spencer  rode  was  that  ot 
some  native  hutg  which  he  had  discovered  with  his 
telescope ;  they  were  built  like  bee-hives,  and 
thatched  with  long  grass ;  the  entrance  was  small, 
and  placed  opposite  to  the  wind  which  most  fre- 
quently blew  there ;  they  were  entirely  deserted, 
and  on  dismounting  to  examine  them,  ail  that 
could  be  discovered  inside  were  some  fragments  of 
agate  for  the  making  of  spear-heads,  with  the 
stones  used  in  chipping  them  into  shape ;  one  of 
them  had  been  left  half  finished,  and  was  of  a 
pretty  green  colour.  Outside  the  huts  were  seve- 
ral circles  of  large  stones,  paved  at  the  bottom, 
and  heaps  of  broken  shells  were  scattered  around, 
as  if  they  had  been  crushed  by  the  lesser  stones 
lying  about;  rude  troughs  of  bark,  and  places 
w^here  grass-seeds  had  been  evidently  ground,  some 
of  the  meal  still  adhering  to  them,  were  mixed 
with  these  circles,  and  broken  shields,  also  of  bark, 
were  close  by. 

On  riding  away  from  the  village,  Tiger  almost 
stepped  upon  what  his  master  thought  was  a  bird's 
nest;  but  it  was  the  playground  of  the  Bower- 
bird,*  formed  of  twigs  and  grass,  so  as  to  make 
nearly  an  arch,  and  on  the  ground  underneath  and 

*  Chlamydera  uuclialis. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  121 

uboiit  were  pieces  of  broken  shells,  bright  pebbles, 
which  evidently  came  from  the  sea-shore,  feathers, 
flowers,  and  fruit-stones.  At  the  time  he  could  not 
comprehend  it ;  but  he  afterwards  came  upon  an- 
other, and  there  saw  speckled  brown  and  white 
birds  enticing  each  other  to  run  backwards  and 
forwards  under  the  arch.  On  returning  through 
the  plain,  he  saw  two  trailing  plants  of  the  Gourd 
kind,  one  with  red  and  white  oblong  fruit,  and  the 
other  with  fruit  the  size  and  shape  of  an  orange, 
of  a  bright  scarlet ;  he  ventured  to  taste  them,  but 
they  were  much  too  bitter  to  swallow. 

"  I  think,  Gip,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  when  he 
reached  home,  "  that  you  ought  to  try  and  run 
about  now;  I  am  sure  you  are  quite  well;''  so 
taking  her  in  his  arms,  he  carried  her  to  the  banks 
of  the  lake,  v,liere  he  placed  her  on  the  ground. 
She  had  recovered  from  the  pressure  of  the  snake, 
but  was  a  little  stiff  for  want  of  exercise ;  how- 
ever, she  in  a  short  time  ran  about  gaily,  though  a 
little  nervous,  and  started  at  the  frogs  which  hopped 
before  her  ;  but  all  at  once  she  gave  a  cry,  and 
looked  at  her  master,  as  she  always  did  when  she 
had  made  a  discovery.  On  reaching  the  spot,  he 
could  not  help  laughing  at  the  poor  little  animal, 
for  one  of  a  regiment  of  Cray-fish  had  nipped  her 
nose,  as  she  placed  it  within  reach  of  its  claw. 
This  was  an  important  addition  to  the  already  long 
1'St  of  eatables ;  and  fetching  a  bag  from  the  hil- 
11 


122  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

lock,  lie  carried  many  of  tliem  Lome,  plunging 
them  into  boiling  water  to  kill  them  immediately 
for  his  supper.  They  accounted  for  the  broken 
shells  which  he  had  seen  at  the  huts,  and  which  at 
the  time  he  thought  must  have  belonged  to  Crus- 
tacege.  "I  do  not  think  I  have  sufficiently  ex- 
plored this  lake,"  said  he;  "and  after  having  been 
to  the  other  side  of  the  hills  to-morrow,  I  will  see 
more  of  it." 

At  first  Gipsy  started  as  usual  with  her  master, 
but  when  she  found  where  he  was  going,  she  hung 
her  tail  and  head,  and  whined.  "  Go  home,  good 
dog !"  said  her  master,  pitying  her  natural  appre- 
hension ;  she  did  not  wait  to  be  twice  told,  and 
scampered  back  at  full  speed,  not,  however,  with- 
out now  and  then  stopping  to  give  a  wistful  look  at 
Captain  Spencer.  Tiger  and  he  scrambled  up  the 
rude  acclivities,  and  on  reaching  the  top  of  the 
ridge,  he  found  that  it  formed  the  boundary  of  the 
fertile  country  in  which  he  had  stationed  himself. 
They  overlooked  an  immense  district  of  scrub  and 
shrubby  trees,  intermingled  with  small  patches  of 
Eucal^-ptus,  some  of  which  rose  to  a  lofty  stature. 
As  far  off  as  he  could  distinguish  anything,  he  saw 
a  range  of  blue  hills  running  N.N.E.  and  S.S.W., 
much  more  lofty  than  those  on  "vvhich  he  stood,  and 
yet  not  very  high,  which  sent  off  lateral  branches, 
and  gave  indication  of  basaltic  structure  in  places  ; 
^hc   branches   evidently   consisted    of    horizontal 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  123 

Strata  of  ancient  sandstone,  and  he  thought  that 
behind  them  was  that  mysterious  interior,  which 
was  l»y  some  supposed  to  contain  a  large  inland 
Bea,  and  by  others  to  consist  of  a  desert  district  of 
sand.  Dark  and  gloomy  ravines  seemed  to  exist 
between  the  hills ;  and  now  and  then  a  silver- 
like thread  marked  the  course  of  a  snail  river,  in 
the  vicinity  of  which  rose  the  smoke  of  several 
fires. 

Cautiously  descending  the  further  side  of  the 
hills  which  bordered  the  plains,  Captain  Spencer 
found  that  they  were  composed  of  nearly  hori- 
zontal strata  of  different  coloured  sandstone  ;  but 
rain  and  time  had  caused  the  soil  to  crumble  in 
some  places,  leaving  that  which  still  stood  in  vari- 
ous forms,  such  as  pillars,  overthrown  obelisks, 
gigantic,  statue-like  pieces  ;  and  one  part  looked 
so  like  a  ruined  temple,  that  he  made  his  way  to- 
wards it  in  spite  of  the  wiry  spinifex  scrub  which 
he  had  to  encounter.  A  little  imagination  would 
have  persuaded  him  that  these  fallen  masses  were 
the  works  of  a  race  which  had  now  disappeared  ; 
some  of  the  pillars  were  encircled  by  an  insignifi- 
cant-looking, but  sweet-smxlling  Jasmine,  and  on 
others  were  magnificent  creepers.  Still  further 
on  he  found  caverns,  and  dismounting,  he  was  de- 
sirous of  entering  them  in  the  hope  of  finding 
fossils.  In  this  he  was  disappointed  ;  but  he  there 
met  with  what  astonished  him  much  more — paint* 


12i        AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

ings  of  gigantic  figures,  -which  showed  a  greate? 
degree  of  civilization  among  the  natives  than  he 
thought  they  possessed.  The  roof  of  one  of  these 
caves  was  sloping,  and  on  it  was  portrayed  a  huge, 
grim  personage,  in  red  and  white  colors  on  a  black 
ground,  having  red  rays  all  round  the  head,  and 
a  circle  of  yellow  round  each  eye ;  other  faces  op 
the  sides  were  merely  surrounded  with  a  rim  ol 
blue  and  red,  and  none  of  them  had  any  mouths ; 
on  one  was  a  necklace,  and  this  seemed  to  be  in- 
tended to  represent  a  female. 

Surprised  and  interested  in  his  discovery.  Cap- 
tain Spencer  visited  these  caves  several  times,  and 
found  others  at  a  little  distance,  but  which  did  not 
all  contain  paintings ;  in  one  of  them  was  an 
enormous  black  hand,  which  produced  a  startling 
effect,  from  appearing  to  issue  from  a  crevice  in 
the  wall ;  and  in  this  cave  he  disturbed  a  number 
of  vampire  bats  as  he  entered,  which  flew  out  with 
a  screeching  noise,  and  filled  the  air  with  a  disa- 
greeable odour,  resembling  mildew  ;  they  settled 
on  a  bamboo-looking  tree  close  by,  which  they 
almost  bent  to  the  ground  by  the  weight  of  their 
numbers.  He  then  came  to  another  cave,  in  which 
was  a  rude  painting  of  a  man  carrying  a  kangaroo, 
and  also  a  number  of  those  animals  with  a  spear- 
head flying  among  them.  What -the  pigments  were 
which  had  been  used.  Captain  Spencer  could  not 
tell ;  but  they  were  evidently  mineral,  and  -were 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  125 

uot  to  be  defaced  either  by  rubbing  or  washing. 
Some  little  distance  from  the  caves,  a  hmnan  head 
was  carved  on  the  surface  of  the  rock,  and  not  at 
all  resembling  an  Australian  in  features.  It  was 
the.  best  specimen  of  artistic  skill  which  had  yet 
appeared,  was  two  feet  long,  and  fourteen  inches 
broad;  the  ear  was  in  the  right  place,  and  it 
seemed  to  have  been  cut  with  a  better  instrument 
than  the  stone  knives  and  hatchets  which  he  had 
heard  that  the  natives  alone  possessed.  The  edges 
were  round,  as  if  it  had  been  done  some  time  ; 
and  further  on  was  a  figure  without  a  mouth, 
dressed  in  a  red  gown,  which  reached  from  the 
head  to  the  feet. 

Hours  were  passed  in  the  examination  of  these 
extraordinary  works  of  art,  and  then  hunger 
pressed  Captain  Spencer  to  return  ;  he  and  Tiger 
again  clambered  up  the  hills,  and  in  so  doing  dis- 
turbed a  species  of  kangaroo,  which  he  had  not 
found  in  the  plain,*  and  which  he  shot  and  slung 
across  the  saddle  before  him.  He  passed  many 
trailing  plants,  such  as  Convolvuli  and  Ipomese ; 
and  as  he  descended  on  the  other  side,  he  came 
upon  a  very  extraordinary  tree,f  the  stem  of 
which,  at  the  bottom,  swelled  into  a  protuberance 
like  an  old-fashioned  decanter ;  and  it  had  hori- 
zontal branches,  with  palmate  leaves.  He  got  off 
his  horse  to  examine  it ;  and  cutting  the  trunk 

*Petrogale  brachyotis  (Gould.)  t  Sterculia. 

11* 


126  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

with  his  liatcliet,  lie  found  that  the  wood  was 
stringy,  and  contained  an  agreeable,  m  ucilaginous 
pulp,  some  of  -which  he  carried  home  as  a  variety 
of  food  for  supper.  A  beautiful  trailing  Yitex, 
with  a  white  blossom,  covered  the  rugged  sand- 
stone in  many  parts  ;  and  in  the  plain  some  bright 
blue  flowers,  very  like  those  of  the  borage,  at- 
tracted his  attention  ;  while  a  tree  like  a  horse- 
chesnut  carried  his  thoughts  far  away. 

As  soon  as  Captain  Spencer  left  the  hills,  Gip, 
who  was  on  the  watch,  ran  to  meet  him,  and  Tiger's 
friendly  salute  was  that  of  taking  her  up  by  the 
skin  of  her  back,  and  giving  her  a  good  shaking, 
which  proof  of  love  seemed  rather  pleasing  to  her 
than  otherwise.  The  kangaroo  was  placed  in 
safety  for  the  night,  and  prepared  the  next  morn- 
ing ;  after  which  Captain  Spencer  more  minutely 
examined  the  lake  and  its  productions,  preferring 
the  middle  of  the  day  on  account  of  the  mosqui- 
toes, and  taking  his  shovel  in  his  hand.  Here  he 
found  such  treasures  that  he  returned  to  the  spot 
several  times.  Of  animal  productions  he  met  with 
Unios,  or  fresh-water  muscles,  of  which  he  took 
away  a  great  bagful,  also  some  of  the  numerous 
other  Mollusca  with  which  the  shore  abounded.* 
A  whole  army  of  Crabs  was  marching  from  one 
spot  to  another,  each  with  the  left  claw  much  larger 
than  that  on  the  right  side;  water-beetles,  and 

*Plaiiorbis,  Ancycius,  Paludina,  Cyclas. 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.    127 

small,  merry  CicaJse  abounded.  The  greatest  of 
the  treasures,  however,  was  the  fresh-water  Turtle, 
^hich  was  excellent  eating. 

Of  vegetable  food,  Captain  Spencer  secured 
some  of  the  tubers  of  the  Cooper's  Reed,*  and 
the  Bulrush, t  which  he  had  heard  of  persons  eat- 
ing in  England,  and  which,  Avhen  well  roasted, 
were  so  farinaceous  that  they  formed  an  excellent 
substitute  for  flour.  Nor  did  he  neglect  to  secure 
some  of  the  seeds  of  the  Water-lilies,  especially 
those  of  the  Nelumbium,  which  his  Indian  experi- 
ence told  him,  when  roasted,  were  very  like  coffee. 
A  plant  very  like  the  Papyrus  was  plentiful ;  but, 
as  evening  approached,  he  did  not  stop  to  gather 
it,  the  more  especially  as  he  was  very  wet  from 
wading  into  the  water  in  search  of  provisions.  As 
he  returned  to  his  hillock  heavily  laden,  he  ob- 
served there  was  an  unusual  appearance  of  insects  ; 
when  Tiger  came  home  for  the  night,  some  green 
flies  were  annoying  him  very  much ;  beetles  with 
tiny  plates,  or  lamellae,  on  their  antennae,  knocked 
against  his  face ;  and  Charlie,  as  he  returned, 
chased  a  large  Sphynx  moth.  When  the  sun  had 
quite  sunk,  one  part  of  the  plain  was  brightly 
illuminated,  which  told  of  the  gambols  of  fire-flies, 
and  which  the*  traveller  was  accustomed  to  see  in 
India,  though  probably  not  the  same  species.  As 
he  and  Gip  supped  together,  the  howls  of  some 

*  Arund4  phragmites.  f  Typha  Chara. 


128         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

animal  saluted  his  ears,  Avhicli  made  Gip  prick  up 
hers  ;  and  he  imagined  it  to  proceed  from  the 
native  dogs.  Charlie  began  to  croak,  and  mutter 
to  himself,  as  he  always  did  when  he  was  dis- 
turbed. These  mysteries  were  explained  by  thick, 
heavy  masses  of  clouds,  which  were  gathering  to 
sea-ward,  and  the  traveller  prepared  all  his  cover- 
ings to  escape  a  wetting.  He  defended  himself 
and  companions,  with  the  tarpauling  and  skins  ; 
Charlie  crept  into  the  cave  with  the  baggage  ;  and 
glad  was  his  master  that  he  had  repaired  the  tar- 
pauling with  the  bags,  and  used  the  kangaroo 
leather  in  their  stead.  Before  he  lay  down,  how- 
ever, fearing  that  the  water  would  stand  in  the 
hollow  where  they  were  placed,  he  dug  a  sort  of 
sluice,  by  which  the  rain,  when  it  came,  as  it  did 
with  tropical  fury,  in  torrents,  ran  off  down  the 
hill,  and  they  remained  perfectly  dry. 

Although  not  injured  by  the  storm,  it  had  bro- 
ken into  the  general  routine  of  everything  around 
him ;  it  had  swelled  the  lake,  and  consequently 
there  would  be  some  unhealthy  exhalations ;  and 
it  was  probably  the  last  for  a  long  time,  whien  the 
dry  season  would  come  for  months,  and  the  tra- 
veller began  to  think  that  he  ought  not  lo  linger 
in  that  plentiful  spot  as  he  did  ;  and  once  con- 
vinced of  the  necessity  of  departure,  he  made 
preparations  for  it ;  resolving  all  the  time,  that  if 
he  were  ever  to  settle  in  Australia,  he  would  come 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  l£a 

there ;  for  he  thought  the  bed  of  the  river  might 
be  improved  so  as  to  admit  of  navigation,  and  if 
not,  that  it  at  all  times  afforded  a  plentiful  supply 
of  water.  The  grass  was  of  the  most  superior 
kind,  and  covered  an  immense  tract ;  the  climate 
was  delightful ;  the  abundance  of  Eucalypti  and 
Acacias,  at  a  little  distance,  would  afford  materials 
for  building,  thatching,  tanning,  &c.;  and  the 
stones  on  the  hills  would  serve  for  many  purposes. 
There  had  been  no  drawbacks  that  he  had  seen, 
except  a  few  reptiles,  which  would  soon  desert  the 
haunts  of  man,  or  be  extirpated ;  and  surely  the 
natives  might  be  conciliated.  He  wound  up  his 
eulogium  by  saying,  "  None  but  those  who  have 
lived  in  the  countries  where  ferocious  beasts 
abound,  can  appreciate  the  feelings  of  security 
which  their  certa'n  absence  affords.  I  shall  take 
care  to  inform  the  good  people  of  Perth  what  a 
treasure  they  possess  within  their  reach,  though 
at  some  little  distance,  I  suspect." 

That  day  Captain  Spencer  began  to  collect  food 
for  his  march,  and  in  the  course  of  his  researches 
he  stumbled  en  some  Cycas  trees,  growing  in  a 
sandy,  rotter  soil,  and  Avhich  were  from  ten  to 
twenty  feet  bign,  full  of  half-ripe  fruit.  He  cut 
down  two,  on  which  this  fruit  was  the  least  ad- 
vanced, and  extracted  the  pith-like  sago  from"  the- 
stems  ;  then  gathered  some  of  the  cones  of  the 
others,  and  when  he  took  them  to  the  hil),  };c  cut 


J30  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

tliem  into  slices,  and  dried  them  with  the  pith,  so 
j\a  to  be  put  into  bags.  He  had  always  remarked 
that  there  Avas  a  great  scarcity  of  butterflies ;  but 
on  this  day  he  discovered  some  of  the  Meadow- 
brown,  one  with  a  broad  yelloAv  spot  on  the  wings,* 
and  those  which  live  on  the  chalky  soils  of  Great 
Britain  ;  he  also  saw  some  of  the  Bower-birds  on 
some  high  trees,  as  if  seeking  their  fruit. 

While  his  flour  of  various  kinds  was  drying, 
anl  the  kangaroo  meat  and  fishes  curing  in  tlie 
sur_,  Captain  Spencer  Avashed  his  clothes  in  the 
lake,  soaking  them  in  the  water,  stamping  on  them 
In  the  manner  of  the  Indians,  and  occasionally 
beating  them,  for  he  thought  the  absence  of  sonp 
could  alone  be  made  up  by  manual  labour ;  which 
labour,  however,  wore  out  the  materials  much 
sooner  than  common  washing  or  friction  would 
have  done ;  and  he  saw  with  dismay  that  his  linen 
was  likely  to  disappear.  In  his  washing  labours 
he  disturbed  several  water  insects,  but  they  were 
unknown  to  him ;  and  on  his  return  by  a  different 
path,  he  was  surprised  at  some  plants  which  re- 
sembled Carrots ;  he  was  rather  suspicious  of  any 
vegetable  which  bore  such  a  leaf,  but  he  pulled 
one  up,  ant'  to  his  surprise  found  that  its  root  per- 
fectly carried  out  the  resemblance,  and  after  cook- 
ins;  it,  he  was  convinced  that  it  was  wholesome 
food.     He   therefore   procured   a  stock  of  them, 

*  Papilio  Sthonelus. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  131 

cliieflj  to  surprise  Tiger  with  after  a  long  march. 
Much  of  the  meal  of  various  kinds  was  made  into 
cakes ;  a  few  cured  Unios  were  added  to  the  ani- 
mal portion ;  and  a  new  grass  hat  was  not  for- 
gotten. It  was  not  any  improvement  on  the  first, 
it  must  be  owned  ;  and  the  manufacturer  was  pain- 
fully convinced  of  his  want  of  talent  for  that 
peculiar  department.  The  arms  and  tools  were 
well  cleaned  and  put  in  order,  and  Tiger  received 
two  or  three  most  careful  dressings.  The  moment 
the  baggage  was  put  on  his  back,  he  altered  his 
demeanour:  he  seemed  to  consider  that  he  was 
then  a  horse  of  responsibility,  and  gave  up  dancing 
and  jumping ;  while  Gip  also  began  her  journey 
at  a  sober  pace.  The  only  one  of  the  party  whose 
spirits  became  raised  on  the  occasion  was  Charlie, 
who  delighted  in  movement  and  bustle  of  any 
kind ;  and  when  the  party  started,  flew  round 
and  round,  screaming,  "Hurrah!  I'm  o^l  hn 
ha  !  ha  !" 


CHAPTEH  V. 

Si'.ake — Huts — Bark  bedsteads — Ovens — Basalt — Luxuriant  grapi 
— Gorge  — Another  gouty-stemmed  tree — Captain  Spencer  de- 
sires to  go  to  the  interior — Scrub — Fishes — Gum-troes — Large 
f  sh — Birds— Flying  Opossums — Insects — Fusanus — Casuarina — 
i)ragon-fly — Sun  to  the  north — Tiger's  hoofs  worn — Tiger's 
socks — Mesembryanthemum— Jerboas — Bustard — Native  grave 
—Melaleuca — Lark — Natives  and  dogs — Dogs  rush  on  Gipsy — 
Captain  Spencer  saves  the  dog — Natives  equipped  for  war: — Cap- 
taii.  Spencer  separated  from  his  arms- — Dances  to  conciliate  na- 
ti\  »« — Roaches  his  fire-arms — Frightens  the  natives — Tiger  comes 
'';,  and  they  are  still  more  frightened — Natives  run  off — Tombs 
possums — Magnetic  hills — River — Black  Swans — Zamia — 
Captain  Spencer  poisoned  by  nuts — Conduct  of  his  companions — 
iecovers  —  Yams  —  Moths  - — Peppermint — Grass-trees^Natives 
and  dogs  come  upon  Captain  Spencer  when  cleaning  arms — He 
frightens  them  away — Uninhabited  villages — Yam-grounds — 
Howls  of  dogs — Splendid  Pelargonium — Tiger  attacked  by  a 
venomous  Snake — In  saving  the  horse  Captain  Spencer  is  bitten 
— Almost  dies — Recovers — Natives  blow  at  him— Hen-Turkey — 
Native  hut  for  watching  prey — Birds — Directs  his  way  south — 
Water  scarce — Tiger  drinks  all  from  one  can — ProtesE. 

From  a  former  study  of  the  maps  of  Australia, 
and  a  guess  at  the  distance  which  he  had  come, 
Captain  Spencer  imagined  that  he  had  reached  a 
bulging  projection  of  land  which  lies  on  the  wes- 
tern side  of  the  continent ;  and  deeming  it  super- 
fluous to  go  round  it,  and  so  keep  close  to  the  coast, 
as  he  had  at  first  intended,  he  determined  to  shape 
his  course  directly  south,  and  to  march  across  it. 
( 132  ) 


AUSTRALIA  ^'     W'AJSTDERERS.  133 

Scrub  began  to  take  the  place  of  grass  ;  but  Tiger 
managed  to  get  through  it,  and  from  it  rose  a  tall, 
strong  gum-tree,  whose  stem  took  an  oblique  direc- 
tion. Upon  it  was  crawling  a  large  Lizard,*  mea- 
suring at  least  six  feet  in  length,  and  making  a 
disagreeable  noise.  When  Gipsy  saw  it,  she  bog- 
ged so  earnestly  to  be  taken  up,  that  her  master 
lifted  her  on  to  his  knapsack ;  and  glad  was  he,  a 
few  minutes  after,  that  he  had  yielded  to  her  en- 
treaties ;  for  a  light-brown  snake,  with  dark-stripea 
on  its  back,  slipped  through  the  grass  where  it  had 
been  coiled  up  ;  and  as  it  hid  itself  in  the  scrub, 
he  saw  by  its  flattened  head  that  it  was  venor  us; 
ant-hills  again  occurred,  and  he  perceived  t'  ''jt 
these  clever  architects  mix  much  clay  with  thf, 
sand  of  their  dwell  higs,  in  order  to  cement  it.  He 
came  upon  paths  worn  by  natives,  and  met  with 
what  he  at  first  thought  to  be  mere  temporary 
screens,  but  which  he  afterwards  found  to  be  more 
permanent  dwellings.  They  consisted  of  several 
boughs  of  trees  stuck  into  the  earth,  and  then  tied 
together,  on  the  top  of  a  forked  stick,  so  that  they 
were  entirely  open  in  front.  About  them  were 
sharp  pieces  of  chipped  basalt,  and  long  narrow 
troughs  01  bark,  which  had  all  the  appearance  of 
bedsteads,  placed  round  a  spot  where  there  had 
been  a  fire.  The  circles  of  stones  were  repeated, 
;ind  in  them  were  some  remains  of  eggs,  which  had 

*  Igiii.iia. 
12 


134  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

been  roasted ;  and  he  at  once  guessed  that  they 
were  ovens,  from  which  the  owners  had  probably 
made  a  hasty  retreat.  He  dismounted,  and  going 
to  the  top  of  the  hills,  which  he  was  still  skirting,  he 
saw  a  large  body  of  people  carrying  on  their  usual 
occupations.  They  had,  then,  been  close  to  him 
while  living  in  the  plain,  and  why  he  had  been  left 
-^nmolested,  he  could  not  imagine ;  for  his  preser- 
vation, however,  he  poured  forth  an  especial  prayer 
of  thanksgiving,  and  entreated  for  a  blessing  upon 
hif.  future  journey. 

The  ground  was  for  some  time  swampy ;  and  as 
long  as  that  and  the  sand-hills  lasted,  the  annoy- 
ance of  flies  and  mosquitoes  continued.  Basalt, 
liowever,  began  to  show  itself,  anci  they  decreased  ; 
the  ground  became  hirder,  but  of  course  the  sup- 
ply c  f  vater  was  less  abundant,  and  a  short,  dry 
her!  age  took  the  place  of  the  long,  silky,  and  lux- 
uriar  t  gra^i:  in  which  Tiger  had  been  lately  revel- 
ling. Strange  birds  flew  over  their  heads,  for 
which  Charlie  always  prepared  by  flying  closer  to 
the  party.  "Valley  succaeded  to  valley;  these 
often  with  such  steep  and  rugged  banks,  that  Ti- 
ger's load  had  to  be  carried  for  him  piecemeal,  be- 
cause of  the  slanting  position  he  was  obliged  to 
assume  ;  but  he  scorned  to  be  led,  and  never  missed 
his  footing.  He  and  Charlie  provided  for  them- 
selves.;   and   as   his   master  and  Gip   used  their 


AUSTRALIAN     WA::DERERfi.        135 

ample  stock  but  sparingly,  there  was  no  occasion 
to  renew  it  for  many  days. 

In  a  deep,  narrow  gorge,  more  like  a  crevice 
than  the  bed  of  a  river,  a  happy  discovery  of  wa- 
ter was  made,  which  in  some  measure  tempered 
the  oppressive  atmosphere  in  that  great  crack  ot 
the  earth.  Growing  in  a  nook  of  the  rock,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  saw  another  gouty-stemmed  tree,  the 
enlargement  of  which  took  place  at  a  greater  dis- 
tance from  the  ground  than  in  the  first.  He  ex- 
amined it,  and  could  scarcely  avoid  pronouncing  it 
to  be  a  Capparis,  very  different  to  the  previous 
gouty  tree  in  all  but  its  stem  ;  its  branches  were 
loaded  with  hanging  fruit  about  the  size  of  a  cocoa- 
nut,  havhig  a  brown  outer  rind,  and  a  shell  be- 
neath, which  was  easily  broken.  Within  were 
several  seeds,  surrounded  by  a  soft  white  p  Jp  ot 
very  agreeable  flavour;  and  he  gathered  S)me. 
which  he  added  to  Tiger's  load.  It  was  so  I'kc 
the  other  gouty  or  bottle  tree  in  shape,  that  h-^ 
could  scarcely  persuade  himself  that  two  of  differ- 
ent genera,  or  even  families,  sh(*uid  so  resemble 
each  other  in  form  ;  and  he  cut  the  stem,  and  fr^m 
it  he  also  extracted  a  pith,  which  came  out  in 
strings  like  macaroni,  some  of  which  accidentall\ 
fell  into  one  of  the  cans  of  water,  to  which  it  inc 
parted  a  slightly  acid  flavour,  and  transformed  is 
into  a  very  agreeable  beverage.  Tiger  took  suci> 
a  fancy  to  it,  that  be  pushed  his  nose  into  the  can, 


186         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

like  a  spoiled  horse  as  he  was,  and  almost  took  it 
by  main  force.  Some  of  this  pith  was  also  col- 
lected and  put  into  the  bags ;  but  as  the  traveller 
went  on,  he  pondered  on  the  similarity  and  differ- 
ences of  the  trees,  and  not  arriving  at  any  conclu- 
sion, he  tlien  thought  that  he  must  have  been  mis- 
taken in  both  of  these  singular  vegetables-;  but  he 
afterwards  found  that  there  were  two  distinct  kinds. 

The  plentiful  supplies  which  Captain  Spencer 
had  hitherto  met  with  admitted  of  no  apprehen- 
sions for  the  future,  and  it  flashed  into  his  mind 
that  it  would  be  a  noble  undertaking  to  go  directly 
across  the  continent  from  west  to  east;  and  the 
spirit  of  discovery  became  stronger  in  him  every 
day ;  but  fortunately  for  his  own  preservation,  he 
recollected  the  fearful  accounts  which  had  been 
brought  of  the  interior  of  that  vast  continent  by 
those  who  had  penetrated  furthest ;  and  common 
sen  ;e  whispered  in  time,  that  it  would  be  fool- 
hardy to  rush  unadvisedly  upon  what  threatened 
destruction.  Yet,  as  he  turned  unwillingly  from 
the  idea,  he  involuntarily  exclaimed,  "  Our  wants 
are  so  few,  vre  are  so  inured  to  climate  and  expos- 
ure, and  my  beasts  are  so  well  trained,  that  we 
sh'iuld  perhaps  stand  a  better  chance  than  those 
travellers  whose  numbers  alone  impede  their  pro- 
gress, from  the  quantity  of  water  and  provision 
v^hich  they  require." 

The  way  for  some  time  presented  nothing  that 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.         137 

Was  bad,  the  depressions  in  the  ground  amounting 
to  furrows,  which  seemed  as  if  they  took  the  direc- 
tion of  the  coast,  and  perhaps,  in  rainy  seasons, 
conveyed  the  water  of  the  interior  to  the  ocean. 
This  idea  was  confirmed  by  occasionally  finding 
some  pools  of  water  in  them,  which  had  not  yet 
been  dried  up  by  the  sun ;  and  they  were  so  cool 
and  shady,  that  they  presented  tempting  resting- 
places.  Captain  Spencer,  however,  did  not  remain 
long  in  them,  for  fear  of  being  surprised  there  by 
the  natives,  and  also  from  some  apprehension  that 
they  might  engender  fever.  In  one  of  them  he 
found  some  long-necked  Turtles,  and  caught  some 
fishes  of  the  Perch  kind  ;  nor  were  tlie  opportu- 
nities of  washing  linen  and  bathing  neglected. 

On  the  plains  above,  eternal  scrub  beset  the 
wayfarers,  wliich  assumed  various  shapes,  all  of 
which  were  different,  and  at  times  impossible  to 
cross ;  often  composed  of  different  sorts  of  Aca- 
cia, the  leaves  totally  unlike  those  which  Captain 
Spencer  had  been  in  the  habit  of  seeing ;  then  of 
Atriplex,  which  well  deserved  its  name  of  horrida, 
but  the  vouno;  shoots  of  which  Tiijer  nibbled  with 
much  satisfaction.  Again,  there  was  the  Callith- 
rix,  with  its  yellow  flowers.  "  What  European," 
said  he,  "could  form  an  idea  of  these  scrubs  with- 
out seeing  them  ?  Even  if  I  were  to  say  that  they 
were  like  exaggerated  furze-bushes  matted  toge- 
ther in  every  direction,  th^y  could  scarcely  com' 
12  * 


138    AtSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

prehend  the  impenetrability  of  Australian  wastes." 
The  old  author's*  terra,  ^^  quasi  diabolus,"  as  ap- 
plied to  the  prickly  Spinifex,  recurred  to  his  me- 
mory ;  and  while  he  srailtd  at  it,  he  never  forgot 
it  when  he  travelled  through  or  thought  of  a  scrub. 
The  only  use  which  he  could  find  for  such  bushes 
was  to  form  hiding-places  for  the  rats  and  mice 
which  Gip  dragged  from  under  them,  or  to  rid  Ti- 
ger of  the  flies  when  he  plunged  his  head  in  for 
that  purpose. 

It  was  in  the  water  lying  m  the  crevices  that  the 
objects  of  greatest  interest  existed ;  and  in  order 
to  catch  the  Jew  Fishes, f  Captain  Spencer  fastened 
the  hook  and  line  on  to  one  of  his  spears,  and 
baited  the  former  with  pieces  of  tortoise ;  besides 
these  were  Perch,  some  small,  and  others  of  the 
Carp  kind,  yellow  in  colour,  and  having  dark  Ion 
gitudinal  lines.  On  one  occasion  he  was  surprised 
Dy  a  Saw-fish,  which  had  probably  come  up  the 
•avine  in  a  high  tide,  and  could  not  get  back  again  ; 
it  was,  however,  in  a  very  languishing  condition. 
He  found  a  large  fish,|  which  had  evidently 
entered  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  spawning,  and 
it  proved  an  excellent  addition  to  the  larder  for 
himself  and  Gip  who  now  ate  fish  like  a  NcAvfound- 
land  dog.  The  gum-trees  were  not  very  plentiful 
n  these  spots,  but  occasionally  a  tall,  rugged  stem 
'  'i^.  f\ir  above  the  lesser  trees,  and  threw  its  long, 

*  Dumpier.  f  Gristis.  J  Sciana. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  139 

sprawling  arms  about,  which  bore  tufts  of  bright 
green,  poplar-like  leaves  at  the  ends  of  them,  and 
on  which  sat  multitudes  of  tiny  birds.  The  bark, 
like  coarse  white  paper,  hung  in  a  profusion  of 
shreds,  strings,  and  festoons,  from  the  trunk  and 
larger  branches.  Thousands  of  Pigeons  of  various 
kinds — Parrots,  with  their  short,  low  flight — Parra- 
keetslike  rainbows — Cockatoos  of  great  beaut  j,  and 
Hawks,  would  occasionally  rest  on  the  tops  of  the 
trees,  as  they  passed  on  their  journey,  or  fed  on  the 
fruit  of  a  shrub  with  stiff  leaves,  covered  with  ber- 
ries like  red  acorns,  enclosing  two  bitter  seeds. 
Owls  made  a  sort  of  barking  noise  in  the  most  re- 
tired parts ;  where  also  were  Flying  Opossums  ;* 
bird's  nests,  out  of  which  he  now  and  then  took 
one  or  two  eggs  ;  a  Craticus,t  with  a  strong,  straight 
bill,  hooked  at  the  end,  and  magnificent  plumage, 
excited  Charlie's  ire  by  its  imitations ;  but  he  re- 
velled in  the  abundance  and  variety  of  insects,  the 
principal  of  which  were  two  kinds  of  Danais  ;  one 
having  light  green  transparent  spots  on  its  dusky 
brown  wings.  He  also  feasted  on  a  butterfly  very 
like  that  of  the  Cabbage  butterfly  of  England,  and 
countless  numbers  of  beautifully  coloured  flies, 
beetles,  bees,  and  wasps.  A  species  of  Sphex,  and 
a  green  Chrysis,  seemed  very  much  to  aff"ect  a 
Tournefortia,J  with  silvery  Avhite  leaves.  A  Fusa- 
nus,  with  globular  fruit,  like  a  small  apple  or  Sibe< 

*  Petaurus  S=e-.a-dus.         t  C.  destructur.         J  T.  argentes. 


140  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

rian  crab,  but  ^yllicll  bad  a  ]aro;e  rouffh  kernel,  waa 
most  refreshing  in  the  middle  of  one  very  hot  day ; 
he  also  observed  a  species  of  the  Fig-tree*  tribe, 
with  several  other  plants  which  the  traveller 
scarcely  expected  to  find  there  ;  but  when  there 
was  nothing  remarkable  in  them  of  rarity  or 
beauty,  he  passed  them  with  a  casual  glance.  Not 
so,  however,  a  huge  Eucalyptus,  nearly  covered 
with  a  rich  drapery,  formed  by  a  luxuriant  creep- 
ing-plant, which  bore  the  appearance  of  a  vine, 
from  its  hanging  bunches  of  fruit,  resembling  black 
grapes  both  in  taste  and  colour,  and  the  seed 
within  very  like  coffee. 

A  gradual  change  had  been  taking  place  in  the 
vegetation  of  the  country,  the  only  persisting  fea- 
ture of  which  continued  to  be  the  several  kinds  of 
scrub  ;  and  Captain  Spencer  now  came  upon  an- 
other of  the  wonders  of  the  land ;  the  Casuarina, 
with  its  articulated,  leafless  branches,  looking  like 
a  gigantic  horse's  tail,  over  which  one  of  the 
Honeysuckle  kindf  flung  its  trailing  branches  ;  he 
thought  also  that  he  perceived  some  plants  of  In- 
digo ;  and  a  prickly  Solanum  close  by  wounded 
bis  fingers,  as  he  attempted  to  gather  it  for  inspec- 
tion. It  was  Charlie  who  generally  called  his 
attention  to  the  insects  as  he  pursiied  them ;  and 
one  day  he  heard  a  great  buzzing  noise  from  a 
Dragon-fly,t  wdiicb  was  trying  to  escape  him ;  the 

*  Ficus.  t  Lorantbub.  +  Thopha  saccata. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDEIIEKS.         141 

bird  brought  it  to  him  at  his  desire,  aud  he  found 
it  had  a  brown  body,  very  clear  wings,  and  a  bag 
on  each  side  of  its  head ;  he  afterwards  saw  one  of 
the  same  kind  with  white  bags  in  the  same  place. 
There  was  a  plentiful  appearance  of  short-nosed 
Beetles,  with  little  tubercles  all  over  the  wing- 
cases ;  and  others,  with  long  horns,  and  red 
patches  of  colour,  formed  by  minute  scales,  became 
quite  troublesome. 

A  narrow  river,  which  had  once  flowed  freely, 
was  now  dwindled  to  a  thread,  making  the  travel- 
ler apprehend  a  time  of  suffering  and  scarcity.     As 
he    sat  down  by  it,  he    laid   his  compass  on  the 
ground ;  and  although  the  sun  had  constantly  been 
behind  him  as  he  walked,  he  started  when  he  was 
so  plainly  convinced  that  it  was  to  the   north  of 
him,  and  that  he  had  passed  the  southern  tropic ; 
he  knew  it  must  be  so,  and  could  not  help  laugh- 
ing at  himself  for  thinking  it  strange  to  look  for 
warmth  and  sunshine  from  that  point  of  the  compass. 
Having  for  a  few  hours  since  he  left  the  river,  tra- 
versed a  sterile  region,  he  perceived  Tiger  walk- 
ng  as  if  he  were  lame,  and  he  stopped  to  examine 
his  feet ;  the  removal  of  a  stone  restored  him  to 
his  usual  gait,  but  his  master  was  dismayed  to  find 
how   much   the   constant   marching   had  worn   hio 
hoofs,  now  they  were  no  longer  protected  by  shoes, 
and  had  often  encountered  rough  grouiul ;  he  de- 
termined to  rest,  therefore,  for  a  short  time,  and 


1:12  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERB. 

try  to  cover  tliem  with  the  thickest  of  his  kanga- 
roo leather,  mm  shoe  him  as  lie  had  shod  himself. 
He  accomplished  this  Avith  some  little  difficulty; 
and  when  he  put  the  coverings  on  to  the  beast,  he 
slipped  about  as  if  he  did  it  on  purpose,  and  pawed 
the  ground,  and  looked  at  his  master  as  if  to  tell 
him  how  uncomfortable  he  was ;  nevertheless,  a 
little  perseverance  reconciled  him  to  them,  and 
Captain  Spencer  was  surprised  to  find  how  long 
they  lasted.  As  Tiger  was  sliding  about  the  first 
day,  a  pale,  bluish-green  looking  patch  of  vegeta- 
tion at  some  distance  attracted  his  master's  atten- 
tion, and  going  up  to  it,  he  found  it  to  be  a  Mesem- 
bryanthemum  with  pale  pink  flowers,  many  of 
which  had  fallen,  and  a  five-sided,  insipid,  but 
juicy  fruit  had  begun  to  show  itself.  In  the  same 
place  was  matter  of  rejoicing  to  both  himself  and 
Gipsy,  for  the  latter  caused  some  Jerboas  to 
spring  from  the  bushes ;  they  leaped  away  rapidly, 
and  Gipsy  chased  them  till  they  suddenly  dis- 
appeared into  the  ground,  where  they  burrowed. 
Captain  Spencer  procured  his  shovel,  and  digging 
at  the  hole,  he  found  that  each  habitation  was  com- 
posed of  a  common  central  shaft,  from  which  seve- 
ral passages  radiated  to  a  distance. 

Some  of  the  Jerboas  were  secured,  and  when 
cooked  were  of  good  flavour.  Far  more  accepta- 
ble, however,  was  a  large  Bustard,  weighing  at 
les»*t  twenty  pounds,  which  he  shot,  and  dragged 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     143 

to  his  resting-place,  where  he  dried  some  of  the 
flesh  for  future  occasions.  A  native  grave  was 
near  this  spot ;  and  as  he  had  his  measuring  tape 
in  his  pocket,  he  ascertained  that  it  was  twenty- 
three  feet  long  and  fourteen  broad;  the  ground 
was  raised,  and  over  it  were  laid  some  branches  of 
a  tree,  which  evidently  belonged  to  the  Myrtle 
family,*  and  which  he  concluded  to  be  the  Mela- 
leuca, so  abundant  in  some  parts  of  the  country. 
The  next  morning,  as  he  was  preparing  breakfast, 
a  bird  rose  from  the  .top  of  a  neighbouring  bush, 
singing  with  a  clear,  melodious  note,  like  that  of  a 
lark,  and  after  soaring  to  a  great  height  in  the  air 
for  a  little  time,  came  down  again  with  fluttering 
wings.  Gipsy  looked  up  in  her  master's  face,  as 
much  as  to  cay,  "Won't  you  shoot  it?"  and  he 
answered  her  by  replying,  "No,  Gip,  I  cannot 
shoot  a  Lark,  it  puts  me  too  much  in  mind  of  my 
own  country."  Gip  was  satisfied  apparently  that 
there  was  some  good  reason  for  denying  her  re- 
quest, and  started  ofi"  to  cater  for  herself  as  usual, 
soon  returning  with  food  to  the  bivouac.  Tiger 
would  eat  any  vegetable  substance  which  was  of- 
fered to  him ;  but  not  so  Gip ;  she  spluttered  and 
threw  it  about,  and  never  having  yet  known  want, 
she  had  not  in  this  respect  been  obliged  to  disobey 
her  natural  taste. 

Having  made  the  usual  provisions  for  starting, 

■^   Mflaleuea. 


144  AUSTRALIAN     AVANDERERS. 

Captain  Spencer  pursued  his  Avay  along  a  sandy, 
rugged  soil,  rising  occasionally  into  ridges  of  no 
great  elevation,  but  sufficiently  so  to  obstruct  the 
view.  Thinking  that  the  country  at  the  back 
might  be  better  than  that  in  which  he  then  was, 
he  determined  to  cross  these  ridges ;  but  just  be- 
fore he  loaded  Tiger,  Gipsy  barked,  ran  to  and  fro 
with  great  uneasiness,  and  the  tramp  of  many  feet 
was  heard  approaching  ;  she  gave  tongue ;  head 
after  head  appeared,  and  a  large  body  of  men 
mounted  on  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  with  evidently 
hostile  intentions.  They  were  accompanied  by 
dogs,  which  snarled  and  appeared  to  be  very  sav- 
age ;  and  two  of  them  rushed  down  the  ridge  upon 
poor  Gipsy.  Her  master,  unmindful  of  his  own 
safety,  flew  towards  her,  placed  her  in  a  cavity  of 
the  rugged  bank,  and  in  his  excitement  easily  put 
a  fragment  before  her,  which  he  afterwards  found 
it  difficult  to  dislodge,  from  its  weight,  and  which, 
though  it  did  not  quite  conceal  her,  opposed  an 
effectual  barrier  to  the  attacks  of  her  enemies. 
By  this  time  the  spears  had  been  placed  in  the 
throwing  stickc,  ready  for  hurling  at  him,  and  the 
people  were  yelling,  and  making  all  their  accus- 
tomed frantic  gestures  of  anger  and  defiance. 
They  were  probably  on  their  way  to  meet  their 
enemies,  for  they  were  equipped  for  war,  and  com- 
ing suddenly  upon  a  white  man,  were  enraged  at 
his  appearance;    their   shields   were   upon   theij 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  145 

arms,  and  thej  had  clubs  as  well  as  spears ;  they 
were  painted  red  and  yellow ;  their  Opossum 
cloaks  were  hanging  at  their  backs  ;  their  thick 
hair  was  either  fastened  up  behind,  or  encircled 
by  a  fillet,  and  many  had  it  adorned  with  dogs' 
tails  or  emu's  feathers.  Not  a  friendly  bough  was 
near  to  show  his  own  peaceable  intentions,  and  for 
a  moment  the  Englishman  thought  he  was  lost ; 
for  in  running  to  save  Gipsy,  he  had  separated 
himself  from  his  fire-arms,  which  he  had  laid  upon 
the  bank  in  order  to  load  the  horse.  The  alarm 
excited  by  the  appearance  of  Tiger  on  former  oc- 
casions darted  into  his  recollection,  and  he  looked 
round  for  him,  but  he  had  ti'otted  ofi'to  take  a  last 
nibble  of  an  inviting  patch  of  grass  before  he 
started  ;  and  then  it  occurred  to  Captain  Spencer, 
that  on  the  northern  coast  the  natives  had  danced 
to  show  their  amicable  feelings,  and  now  he  would 
dance  to  show  his.  He  immediately  began  to  ca- 
per with  all  his  might,  and  it  was  many  a  long 
month,  perhaps  years,  since  he  had  jumped  about 
as  he  did  then ;  for  it  was  no  graceful  sliding  and 
bending,  with  the  feet  scarcely  lifted  from  the 
ground;  it  was  real,  jolly  dancing,  and  had  the 
desired  effect,  for  the  natives  paused.  If  he  re- 
laxed for  an  instant,  however,  they  again  raised 
their  spears  ;  but  the  day  was  won ;  he  of  course 
danced  towards  his  fire-arms,  and  in  one  of  his  at- 
titudes he  took  up  his  pistols,  and  fired  one  of  the 
13 


146  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

barrels  over  their  heads.  Before  they  recovered 
from  their  panic,  he  fired  a  second,  and  all  de- 
camped with  the  utmost  speed.  Bj  this  time  Ti- 
ger came  galloping  up  to  him,  and  he  ordered  him 
to  stand  on  the  top  of  the  bank  in  a  most  conspic- 
u,~)us  situation,  where  he  neighed  loudly,  and  where 
liis  mane  and  tail  spread  out  like  a  banner.  The 
two  dogs  were  still  trying  to  get  at  Gipsy ;  but  he 
knocked  one  on  the  head,  and  the  other,  after  a 
severe  bloAV,  made  its  escape,  running  with  a  howl 
after  its  owners.  After  taking  his  favourite  from 
her  place  of  refuge,  where  she  lay  in  an  agony  of 
apprehension,  he  peeped  over  the  ridge,  and  saw 
the  party  hurrying  oif  at  an  immense  rate,  in  a  di- 
rection quite  contrary  to  that  in  which  he  wished  to 
go ;  and  then  calling  Tiger  doAvn,  he  examined  the 
dead  animal,  and  found  it  had  a  long  sharp  nose,  and 
was  more  like  the  wolf,  or  the  fox,  than  any  of  the 
European  breeds.  Charlie  had  flown  after  the  na- 
tives, calling  out,  "  Hurrah  !  hurrah  !  ha!  ha!  ha  !" 
as  if  to  give  them  their  last  fling ;  and  then  when 
Tiger  was  loaded,  he  perched  himself  on  the  top 
of  the  baggage,  saying,  "  All's  right,  Ned  Spen- 
cer !" 

As  he  journeyed  on,  the  traveller  had  leisure 
to  think  of  his  late  adventure,  and  the  ejacu- 
lations of  gratitude  for  his  escape  which  had 
Immediately  risen  to  his  lips  now  assumed  the 
form    of    (le?p    thanksgiving   to   his    Great   Pre* 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  147 

server;  nor  was  this  less  fervent  because  no 
blood  had  stained  his  hand  on  this  occasion.  Then 
the  ludicrous  side  of  the  picture  came  uppermost, 
and  he  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  ridiculous 
figure  he  must  have  made ;  such  a  contrast  to  the 
gay  Edward  Spencer,  the  hero  of  the  Governor's 
and  military  balls  in  Bombay,  dancing  only  when 
and  with  whom  he  chose,  and  now  forced  to  dance 
to  a  set  of  savages  to  save  his  life.  It  was  a  good 
lesson,  he  thought,  and  he  half-determined  never 
again  to  give  himself  airs.  Certainly  he,  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  laughed  whenever  he  thought 
of  the  capers  of  that  morning. 

Traces  of  the  native  Australians  were  now  to 
be  seen  every  where  ;  such  as  tombs  of  stones, 
placed  east  and  west,  and  made  of  pieces  of  rock, 
which  had  been  only  seen  in  distant  places,  and 
sea-shells  ;  heaps  of  ashes  where  fires  had  been 
lighted,  and  trees  which  had  either  fallen  from 
fire,  or  at  least  had  been  charred  by  the  flames. 
The  number  of  Gum-trees  increased,  and  some  of 
them  were  in  blossom,  each  flower  looking,  at  first, 
like  a  goblet,  with  a  pyramidal  cover,  which  was 
pushed  oif  when  the  stamens  burst  into  a  starry 
circle ;  the  leaves  were  dull,  and  the  white  trunks 
were  decorated  by  hanging  strips  of  bark,  which 
assmned  fantastic  shapes.  Up  one  ran  an  animal 
about  the  size  of  a  cat ;  and  as  the  tree  leaned  to 
the  side,  Gip  pursued,  but  it  was  not  quick  enough, 


148    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

for  the  Opossum  crept  into  a  hole  and  disappeared. 
Some  kangaroos  were  shot ;  and  patches  of  grass 
were  here  and  there  found  in  the  midst  of  a  1ot< 
scrub.  Hills  of  sand,  cemented  bj  oxide  of  iron, 
with  compact  quartz  and  gypsum,  occurod  more 
than  once ;  and  Captain  Spencer  began  to  suspect 
that  the  metal  in  these  had  attracted  his  compass, 
and  that  he  had  made  too  much  easting ;  he  did 
all  in  his  power  to  counteract  this  by  taking "  a 
Bouth-west  direction,  for  he  exceedingly  dreaded 
greater  uncertainty  of  route,  and  missing  Perth 
altogether.  In  spite  of  his  faith  and  courage, 
when  tired  with  a  long  day's  journey,  his  heart 
would  occasionally  sink,  as  he  passed  day  after 
day  without  any  traces  of  civilised  man ;  and 
thought  that  heat  was  increasing,  with  its  attend- 
ant evil,  drought.  The  quantity  of  water  being 
already  so  greatly  lessened  in  the  river  which  he 
had  lately  passed,  he  became  doubly  anxious  to 
reach  the  settlement  to  which  he  bent  his  steps. 
As  if  to  ease  his  apprehensions,  he  after  this  came 
to  what  was  evidently  a  permanent  river,  on  the 
banks  of  which  were  large  Casuaringe,  and  on  it 
Bome  black  Swans  majestically  sailing  ;  he  secured 
two  of  these  for  food ;  and  after  a  rest  of  about 
four  hours,  he  refilled  his  skins  and  cans,  and 
marched  on.  Melaleucas  were  also  growing  by 
the  side  of  this  river,  with  their  small,  abundant 
blossoms ;  and  some  of  the  leaves  having  fallen 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  149 

mto  :>ne  of  the  cans,  he  fancied  that  they  had  im- 
parted to  the  water  a  flavour  like  that  of  tea ;  and 
when  he  came  to  some  more  of  them,  he  boiled 
them,  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  substitute  for  this 
invigorating  beverage  ;  but  he  could  not  relish  it, 
and  did  not  try  the  experiment  again.  His  path 
was  made  more  uncertain  by  the  scrub,  through 
Bome  parts  of  which  he  could  not  penetrate ;  and 
he  had  been  constantly  obliged  to  carry  Gip,  for 
she  was  so  small  that  she  crawled  under  the  bushes, 
and  could  not  get  out  again  without  the  axe  being 
used  to  chop  a  hole  for  her  release. 

Captain  Spencer  was  surprised  by  what  he 
thought  the  re-appearance  of  the  Cycas,  but  going 
up  to  the  tree  which  had  attracted  him,  he  found 
it  to  be  of  a  different  species,  and  concluded  that 
it  was  a  Zamia.  He  gathered  some  of  the  fruit, 
and  finding  it  agreeable,  he  ate  it,  and  proceeded 
on  his  journey ;  he  had  not,  however,  gone  far, 
before  he  felt  incapable  of  proceeding,  from  the 
most  violent  sickness,  and  without  being  able  to 
choose  a  place  where  water  and  grass  were  to  be 
found,  he  laid  himself  down  in  the  clearest  patch 
of  scrub  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Finding  him- 
self get  worse,  he  with  the  greatest  difficulty  took 
the  baggage  from  Tiger's  back,  and  then  flung 
himself  on  the  ground,  arms,  hat  and  all,  with  a 
can  of  water  by  his  side,  for  his  thirst  was  exces- 
sive ;  he  did  not  doubt  that  he  had  been  poisoned, 
13* 


150  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

and  it  seemed  to  him  very  uncertain  whether  he 
should  survive  the  agony  he  was  then  enduring. 
Both  Tiger  and  Gipsy  seemed  to  know  that  there 
was  something  the  matter  with  him,  and  would  not 
leave  his  side.  Charlie,  when  he  saw  that  they 
all  stopped,  came  bustling  up,  and  stuck  himself 
into  a  bush,  saying,  "Ned  Spencer,  what's  the 
matter  ?"  then  he  put  his  head  on  one  side  to  listen 
for  the  usual  answer,  and  finding  no  return  to  his 
chattering,  he  went  through  the  whole  of  his  voca- 
bulary, over  and  over  again,  till  the  poor  sufferer 
wished  he  had  never  taught  him  a  sentence.  There 
he  lay  for  hours  without  being  able  to  move  hand 
or  foot,  not  even  to  cover  himself.  But  Gipsy 
nestled  up,  and  tried  to  comfort  him,  and  Tiger 
laid  himself,  when  night  came,  as  close  as  he  could 
to  him,  while  Charlie  descended  from  his  bush  on 
to  the  horse's  shoulder.  At  length  the  pain  abated, 
and  Captain  Spencer  thought,  as  he  dozed,  that 
he  might  never  wake  again  ;  he  slept  the  whole 
of  that  night,  but  was  awake  before  his  companions 
had  opened  their  eyes.  To  his  surprise  and  thank- 
fulness he  was  well,  though  weak ;  but  as  his  ap- 
petite was  not  yet  returned,  he  determined  not  to 
eat  more  than  was  necessary  that  day.  Rousing 
his  companions,  they  fed,  and  by  the  time  they 
had  breakfasted  he  was  able  to  lift  the  things  on 
to  Tiger's  back,  who  neighed,  and  did  not  attempt 
to   play,  and  so  hinder  the   progress  of  loading. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  151 

Gipsy  almost  impeded  him  -with  sundry  jumps, 
Charlie  flew  round  him,  perched  upon  his  shoulder, 
and  screamed  "  All's  right !"  and  so  they  set  off. 
They  rested  for  some  hours  during  the  heat  of  the 
day,  and  in  the  evening  reached  a  fine  open  plain, 
with  here  and  there  a  clump  of  trees,  where  Cap- 
tain Spencer  encamped  for  the  night,  and  ate  with 
his  usual  appetite. 

On  crossing  the  plain  Captain  Spencer  was  sur- 
prised at  finding  the  soil  full  of  large  holes,  which 
made  it  very  difficult  for  Tiger  to  keep  his  footing ; 
he,  however,  trusted  him  to  his  own  guidance,  know- 
ing that  he  was  sagacious  enough  to  pick  his  way 
properly,  and  he  found  that  these  holes  arose  from 
digging  up  a  number  of  tubers  resembling  Yams.* 
A  short,  pointed  stick,  broken  in  two,  showed  the 
tool  which  had  been  employed  in  taking  them  up  ; 
but  overjoyed  at  so  wholesome  a  discovery,  he  used 
his  shovel,  and  procured  several  in  a  very  short 
time  :  he  roasted  some  for  supper,  and  having  that 
morning  shot  some  cockatoos,  he  made  a  thick 
soup  with  the  two,  and  was  perfectly  renovated 
from  his  late  illness.  He  remained  the  whole  of 
that  day,  digging  up  as  many  as  Tiger  could  carry, 
and  converting  some  of  them  into  meal,  with  which 
he  filled  his  almost  empty  bags,  and  imitated  his 
oatmeal  cakes,  which  Gipsy  condescended  to  par- 
take of.     As  for  Tiger,  he  enjoyed  the  mash  which 

•  Dioseorea. 


152  AUSTRALIAN    WANDICP.  ERS, 

his  master  made  for  him  as  if  it  had  been  oat-gruel 
It  was  a  general  feast ;  for  Charlie  had  the  previous 
evening  devoured  as  many  of  the  Sphinx  and 
Ghost  Moths  as  he  could  catch.  The  former  had 
triangular  marks  on  their  wings,  and  measured 
three  inches  across.  Some  locusts,  too,  had  made 
a  loud,  rattling,  and  most  disagreeable  noise,  as 
they  settled  on  one  of  the  neighbouring  clumps  of 
Eucalyptus  ;  they  were  large,  had  brown  bodies, 
two  inches  long,  rough  legs,  a  square-shaped  head, 
with  red  and  yellow  marks,  half  an  inch  broad, 
a  long  proboscis,  which  was  not  put  out  except 
when  feeding  ;  their  wings  were  perfectly  trans- 
parent, and  they  altogether  were  very  handsome 
insects.  Chancing  to  crush  some  of  the  leaves  on 
which  he  saw  them,  Captain  Spencer  found  that 
they  had  a  flavour  of  peppermint  ;*  the  whole  tree 
made  a  beautiful  appearance ;  the  bark  was  of 
varied  tints,  the  leaves  were  unusually  thick,  were 
narrower,  brighter,  and  greener  than  those  of 
other  gum-trees,  and  the  fragrant  blossoms  looked 
like  a  mass  of  white  fringed  stars,  which  yielded  a 
quantity  of  honey.  On  one  tree  he  caught  an 
Opossum,  and  saw  several  others  on  the  neighbour- 
ing trunks. 

More  uneven  ground  was  crossed,  and  at  last 
the  travellers  found  themselves  in  a  swampy  val- 
ley, in  whicli  Tiger  greatly  rejoiced,  for  he  there 

*  Eucalyptus  peperita. 


AUSTRAIIAN     W  A  N  B  E  P.  I.  11  S  .  153 

met  Willi  the  same  long,  silky  grass  wLich  he  had 
before  eaten,  and  which  he  attacked  the  instant  he  • 
was  free  from  his  load,  first,  however,  taking  a 
good  roll  in  it.  "Poor  fellow  !"  said  his  master, 
"  I  have  not  been  well  enough  to  rub  you  down 
lately,  but  to-morrow  you  shall  have  a  good  scrub- 
bing." Some  kangaroos  seemed  to  relish  the  same 
grass  as  that  which  delighted  the  horse ;  for  they 
were  numerous  there,  and  were  of  a  different  spe- 
cies to  those  before  seen.  But  that  which  now 
interested  Captain  Spencer,  was  the  appearance  of 
some  curious  tufted  masses  of  long,  narrow,  sharp 
leaves,  growing  on  the  top  of  a  round  stem,  of 
various  heights,  most  of  which  fell  back,  and  hung 
round  the  stem.  This  stem  was  rough  from  the 
scars  of  fallen  leaves,  and  was  frequently  five  feet 
high.  From  the  middle  rose  a  scape  ten^feet  high, 
with  a  spike  on  the  top,  a  foot  long.  "  These 
must  be  Grass-trees,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  "and 
are  a  good  sign  of  my  progress,  for  I  must  be 
getting  to  the  south  to  meet  with  them.' 

The  dew  was  heavy  but  refreshing,  and  wel- 
comed on  account  of  its  rarity,  especially  as  the 
party  was  well  protected  by  coverings  ;  for  with 
the  instinct  which  all  animals  more  or  less  possess 
when  tame,  Charlie  now  always  crept  under  them 
with  the  others  :  and  as  it  was  a  spot  abounding 
with  all  sorts  of  necessaries  for  his  wants.  Captain 
Spencer  decided  on  halting  in  it  for  a  short  time, 


154  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

to  repair  clothes,  moccasins,  tarpauling,  and  Tiger's 
socks.  He  examined  his  stock  of  ammunition, 
and,  thanks  to  Gip,  who  caught  so  much  for  him, 
the  Tortoises,  Fishes,  Unios,  and  vegetable  food, 
it  was  still  plentiful ;  but  his  gun  and  pistols 
wanted  cleaning,  and  while  intently  at  work  at 
them,  Gipsy  rushed  into  his  arms,  followed  by 
several  native  dogs,  and  their  masters  at  a  dis- 
tance ;  he  gave  one  of  the  first  such  a  blow  with 
the  stock  of  his  gun,  that  he  thought  he  must  have 
killed  it,  and  hurled  the  second  and  third  to  a  dis- 
tance. The  first,  however,  got  up  again,  and 
slunk  away  to  the  five  or  six  men  behind,  who  had 
come  as  if  they  had  known  the  moment  in  which 
the  white  man  was  defenceless  ;  he  could  not  re- 
treat or  shelter  himself  in  any  way ;  his  things 
were  scattered  about,  and  all  he  could  do  was  to 
gesticulate  as  much  as  possible,  while  he  endea- 
voured to  load  his  pistols.  He  succeeded  in 
arresting  their  attention,  till  he  had  put  in  the 
charges  of  two  barrels ;  he  fired,  but  the  first 
would  not  go  ofi",  from  being  still  damp  after  clean- 
ing. The  Aiistraliar,,--.  derided  him,  even  mocking 
the  sound  of  the  pistol  lock,  and  were  about  to 
rush  upon  him,  brandishing  their  clubs.  At  this 
moment  Tiger  came  tearing  up  to  his  master,  and, 
as  usual,  the  astonishment  and  alarm  of  the  Aus- 
tralians paralysed  them  ;  they  dropped  their  hands, 
and  looked  at  the  horse  with  astonishment.     Cap 


AUSTRALIAN     \V  A  N  D  E  R  E  R  S  .  155 

tain  Spencer  then  reloaded,  and  this  time  suc- 
ceeded ;  for  aimiiiii;  at  a  dry  bush,  chjse  to  the 
people,  he  covered  their  naked  bodies  Avith  its 
splinters  and  shattered  leaves  ;  the  rest  took  fire, 
and  communicating  with  other  bushes,  a  train  of 
flames  was  laid,  which  soon  drove  them  from  their 
position,  and  they  were  obliged  to  run  hard  to 
avoid  being  burnt.  They  did  not  return,  and  the 
success  of  tlie  stratagem  was  complete.  Still  on 
this,  as  on  all  other  occasions,  thankfulness  for 
escape  was  mingled  with  regret  that  he  could  not 
effect  friendly  intercourse  with  his  fellow-creatures. 
The  next  day  he  departed,  and  came  to  some  vil- 
lages without  inhabitants,  the  huts  of  which  were 
of  a  more  substantial  form  and  more  compact  con- 
struction than  any  he  had  before  seen,  seeming  to 
stamp  them  as  permanent  abodes.  They  were 
surrounded  by  Yam  grounds,  whether  natural  or 
artificial,  he  could  not  tell ;  deep  wells  had  been 
dug  in  several  places,  which  were  full  of  water  at 
that  time ;  and  there  were  marked  paths  all 
through  the  surrounding  district,  by  means  of 
which  Tiger  was  able  to  pick  his  way  without 
stumbling  into  the  holes  from  which  the  tubers 
had  been  taken.  At  night  the  howls  of  the  native 
dogs  were  to  be  heard,  reminding  Captain  Spencer 
of  those  of  Jackals,  which  they  also  resembled  in 
colour ;  and  he  then  remarked  that  none  of  those 
which  he  had  seen  had  been  dark  in  hue. 


156  AUSTRALIAN     AT  A  N  I)  E  R  E  R  S  . 

Scrub,  gravel,  and  quartz,  charp.cterized  the  soil 
for  the  next  few  days'  journey ;  Gr;iss-trees  still 
showing  themselves,  and  a  flight  of  white  Cocka- 
toos guiding  the  travellers  to  water ;  which  was 
reached  at  nightfall,  and  by  which  Captain  Spen- 
cer again  rested ;  and  cutting  off  the  top  of  some 
young  Grass-trees,  and  boiling  them  well  with 
cockatoos,  and  a  little  kangaroo  fat,  he  made  a  de- 
licious mess  for  supper.  "  Perdrix  aux  choux," 
said  he  to  himself ;  "and  quite  as  good  as  any 
produced  by  Ude  or  Beauvilliers.  Even  Gip  eats 
it ;  and  if  I  return  in  safety  to  India,  I  shall  pub- 
lish a  book  entitled,  '  Australian  Bush  Cookery.'  " 

From  the  visible  diminution  of  water  in  the  bed 
of  all  streams  or  rivers,  Captain  Spencer  supposed 
that  at  a  more'  advanced  period  of  the  dry  season, 
all  of  there  would  be  perfectly  dry ;  it  was  now 
with  diflSculty  that  enough  was  found  for  washing 
clothes  as  well  as  dressing  food,  and  he  never  con- 
templated its  future  absence  without  a  shudder. 
Near  to  the  spot  where  Tiger  was  feeding,  he  saw 
what  looked  like  a  large,  splendid,  red  Geranium, 
or  rather  Pelargonium,  eight  feet  high,  with 
flowers  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter ;  and  fear- 
ful that  the  horse  would  trample  on  or  devour  it, 
he  hastened  to  gather  and  examine  the  blossoms. 
By  the  time  he  reached  the  spot,  Tiger  was  stamp- 
ing and  pawing  with  his  fore  feet ;  and,  to  his  hor- 
ror, he  saw  a  venomous  serpent,  with  brown  and 


AUSTRALI-AN      WANDKRERS.  157 

red  spots  on  its  belly,  twisted  round  the  poor 
beast's  legs ;  he  could  not  chop  its  tail,  because  in 
so  doing  he  might  have  chopped  the  horse  also  ;  and 
fearing  that  the  reptile  would  spring  at  his  nose  or 
mouth,  he  exclaimed,  "  Stand,  Tiger  !"  hoping  that 
if  he  were  quiet,  the  serpent  would  untwine  itself, 
and  go  away.  Tiger  obeyed  at  the  instant,  but 
the  flashing  of  his  beautiful  eyes  proved  that  he 
was  still  in  a  state  of  great  excitement.  His 
docility,  however,  saved  him,  and  the  serpent  left 
him  ;  ut  it  was  only  tQ  attack  its  new  enemy. 
Captain  Spencer  stood  still,  and  met  the  creature 
Avith  a  firm  grasp  ;  he  had  not,  however,  seized  it 
near  enough  to  the  head,  for  it  inserted  its  fangs 
into  his  hand;  he  was  not  at  first  aware  that  he 
was  bitten,  and  stamping  violently  on  its  tail,  he 
cruslied  the  spine,  and  it  became  passive  ;  then 
severing  its  head  from  its  body,  he  went  up  to  his 
dear  horse,  and  in  the  joy  of  having  saved  him 
bestowed  ou  him  many  a  fond  word  and  caress. 
All  at  once,  however,  he  found  his  arm  and  hand 
sw'ollen  and  stiff,  and  looking  at  the  latter,  he  per- 
ceived two  tiny  red  marks.  "Aha!"  said  he,  "I 
fear  it  is  :ill  over  with  me,  for  I  have  no  antidote  ; 
could  [  get  at  the  fat  of  the  serpent,  perhaps  it 
might  save  me  ;  but  I  shake  so  much,  I  cannot  use 
my  knife :"  at  these  words  he  dropped  upon  the 
ground,  t!ie  most  violent  shiverings  came  on,  and 
an  hiiense  cold  seemed  to  seize  him  from  head  to 
U 


158         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

foot.  These  convulsions  continued  for  at  least 
half  an  hour,  during  which  time  the  suiferer  re- 
tained his  senses,  and  he  endeavoured  to  gain 
strength  of  mind  on  thus,  as  he  thought,  receiving 
his  summons  from  this  world ;  he  took  leave  of  his 
faithful  companions,  and  thought  with  comfort  that 
they  could  sustain  life  without  his  help.  They, 
however,  could  not  tell  to  any  one  what  his  fate 
had -been,  and  a  recurrence  to  family  and  friends 
caused  one  groan  to  escape  him.  Tiger  stood  by 
his  side,  conscious  that  something  was  very  wrong  ; 
Gipsy  watched  him  w^ith  close  attention,  every  now 
and  then  giving  a  whine,  and  looking  into  his  face  ; 
Charlie,  who  had  been  called  to  have  a  final  caress, 
flew  tu  Jiiiu,  saying,  "  What's  the  matter,  Ned 
Spencer  ?"  and  perceiving  that  all  was  not  right, 
remained  close  by,  muttering  to  himself  in  an 
under  tone,  as  he  always  did  when  anything  dis- 
turbed him.  Then  came  on  fever  and  delirium, 
and  a  desire  to  rush  about ;  but  weakness  pre- 
vented his  standing :  the  sufferer  swallowed  large 
draughts  of  water,  and  overwhelming  nausea  came 
upon  him,  accompanied  by  violent  pains  in  the 
limbs ;  these,  however,  were  as  nothing  compared 
to  that  in  the  head ;  and  turning  upon  his  face  and 
holding  his  burning  forehead  with  both  hands,  he' 
lay  upon  the  ground,  and  all  consciousness  left 
him.  He  did  not  know  how  long  he  remained  in 
that  condition,  but  it  was  bright  moonlight  when 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  159 

he  recovecl  from  his  sleep,  or  rather  stupor,  and  he 
believed  that  his  dear  friends  had  never  left  him ; 
for  Tiger  still  stood  close  by,  his  head  hanging 
doAvn  with  all  the  appearance  of  sorrow  in  his  sub- 
dued look ;  Gip  had  laid  herself  by  him,  and  put 
her  paws  upon  his  arm  ;  while  Charlie  had  perched 
mto  a  bush,  and  every  now  and  then  peered  down, 
mth  a  knowing  look,  to  see  what  next  would  hap- 
pen to  his  dear  "Ned  Spencer!"  At  last  the  poor 
s\'ayfarer  raised  his  head,  but  it  immediately  fell 
back.  Gipsy  licked  his  face,  and  when  endeavour- 
ing to  return  her  caress,  the  past  by  degrees  re- 
curned  to  his  memory,  and  he  was  surprised  to  find 
himself  alive  ;  he  sat  up,  drank  some  v^ater,  and 
■spoke :  then  did  the  trio,  which  had  so  lovingly 
ind  anxiously  watched  him  through  his  sufferings, 
show  their  delight.  Gip  leaped  on  hira,  leaped  off 
igain,  ran  a  few  yards,  returned,  and  licked  him, 
md  then  set  off  once  more  at  full  speed.  Tiger 
kicked  and  frolicked  after  Gipsy,  and  shook  her 
«vell;  while  Charlie,  who  was  always  the  most 
vociferous  of  the  party,  screamed,  hurrahed,  and 
laughed,  till  he  was  almost  exhausted. 

Before  he  was  able  to  start  again,  for  it  was 
■30me  days  ere  the  stiffness  left  his  arm,  or  his 
■strength  entirely  returned.  Captain  Spencer  re- 
ceived another  visit  from  some  natives,  who  ap- 
peared on  a  neigldiouriiig  elevatio)!,  using  more 
extraordinary  gesticulations  than  any  he  had  yet 


160         AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

seen;  one  of  these  was  to  inflate  their  cheeks  lo 
their  full  extent,  and  blow  at  him  with  all  their 
force  ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  see  their  grotesque 
faces  without  laughing ;  this  set  off  Charlie,  who 
uttered  his  loudest  peals  of  "  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !"  which 
rendered  the  men  absolutely  motionless  from  as- 
tonishment; and  then  it  struck  the  Englishman, 
that  he  had  been  hitherto  looked  upon  as  a  sorce- 
rer, and  that  these  poor  people  were  now  practising 
counter  incantations.  He  did  all  he  could  to  make 
friends,  but  they  blew  harder  than  ever ;  and  Ti- 
ger, at  his  master's  command,  displaying  his  mane 
and  tail,  they  decamped  with  a  speed  which  showed 
that  they  believed  themselves  overmatched  in 
witchcraft. 

At  length  the  travellers  again  took  their  way, 
aud  ill  the  first  day's  march  Captain  Spencer  was 
startled  by  what  he  thought  was  the  cry  of  a  child  ; 
Gip  also  listened  anxiously,  and  then  ran  about 
with  her  nose  to  the  ground ;  'the  former  thinking 
that  it  might  be  a  poor  helpless  infant  dropped  in 
the  hasty  flight  of  its  parents.  Nothing  human, 
however,  was  met  with,  and  the  sound  ceased,  when 
Gip  put  up  a  bird,  something  like  a  Guinea-fowl, 
but  as  large  as  a  hen  Turkey.*  Captain  Spencer 
fired,  and  brought  it  down  at  the  dog's  feet.  On 
preparing  it  for  eating,  he  ascertained  that  it  fed 
on   insects,  was   full   of  worms,  and  had  a  large, 

*  Ltipoa  ocellata. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        161 

horny  gizzard.  He  had  followed  the  course  of  the 
river,  and  not  far  from  it  a  curious  mound  of  earth 
presented  itself,  about  three  feet  high  ;  but  sup- 
posing it  to  be  a  native  grave,  he  passed  it  without 
further  examination.  He  then  came  to  a  hut  with 
several  entrances,  and  it  appeared  to  him  that  it 
iiad  been  constructe't  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place,  for  concealing  themselves  when  they  watched, 
and  wished  to  surprise  the  animals  that  came  to 
the  river  to  drink.  He  took  possession  of  it  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  killed  what  he  at  first 
thought  must  be  Woodcocks,  from  their  manner  of 
running,  but  which  proved  to  be  Quails,  some 
Ducks,*  a  Crane,  a  Bittern,  and  a  beautiful  Heron, 
and  saw  an  immense  flight  of  very  pretty  birds  of 
a  dark,  dusky  green,  which  alighted,  and  ran  about 
with  their  tails  stuck  up  in  the  most  knowing  man- 
ner. To  prepare  and  profit  by  this  accumulation 
of  good  cheer,  it  was  necessary  to  halt ;  and  when 
they  started  again,  both  master  and  horse  had 
much  additional  burden.  Greatly  puzzled  was  the 
former  to  know  Which  way  to  go  ;  he  now  felt  as- 
sured that  the  vicinity  of  the  magnetic  hills  had 
influenced  his  compass  ;  his  glass  showed  him  in- 
creasing tracts  of  scrub  to  the  west,  and  he  began 
to  fear  that  he  had  completely  missed  his  way  to 
Perth  ;  and  the  only  point  to  which  he  could  now 
direct  his  steps  and  his  hopes  was  Adelaide.     The 

*  Anas  naevosa. 
14* 


162         AUSTRALIAN      WAJNuauii/vo 

vision  of  Swan  River,  however,  was  too  pleasing 
to  part  with  all  at  once,  and  he  still  took  a  south 
erly  direction.  "At  all  events,"  said  he,  "that 
must  bring  me  to  the  sea  again  without  losing  much 
distance,  and  once  there  I  may  be  better  able  to 
determine  which  is  the  proper  course.  My  preser- 
vation hitherto  forbids  me  to  despair,  and  I  cannot 
think  that  these  dear  faithful  companions  are 
doomed  to  die  in  a  desert,"  So  speaking,  he 
pushed  on  with  alacrity,  and  courageously  encoun- 
tered a  thick  wood,  highly  scented  from  the  blos- 
soms of  the  Gum-trees  w^hich  composed  it ;  but  the 
abundant  growth  of  underwood  presented  great 
difficulties.  He  carried  Gip,  and  cheered  Tiger 
with  his  voice,  Avhich  brought  them  well  through 
it ;  and  as  he  looked  at  the  tall  stems,  bare  of 
branches  till  they  reached  a  great  height,  he 
thought  of  his  more  picturesque  Indian  forests. 

The  most  refreshing  slumbers  restored  the  tra- 
vellers, and  they  proceeded  on  their  journey,  not, 
however,  with  their  usual  supply  of  water ;  for 
this  had  been  scarce  during  some  days.  None  had 
been  alloived  in  the  morning  before  starting;  so 
Tiger,  without  any  ceremony,  directly  his  load  was 
taken  off  at  night,  pushed  his  nose  into  one  of  the 
cans,  and  drank  its  contents,  leaving  Gip  only  a 
little,  which  she  lapped  up  as  it  ran  over  the  side 
of  the  tin.  "  Tiger,  my  boy,"  said  his  master, 
*'  you  must  not  be  in  such   a  hurry   qgain ;  you 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        163 

were  to  have  had  only  half  that  this  evening."  He 
denied  himself  any  out  of  the  other  can,  and  cut- 
ting off  a  tuft  fron}  <!  Grass-tree,  -md  folding  ' 
closely  in  its  outside  leaves,  iie  roasted  it  m  hoc 
ashes,  and  giving  Gip  some  meat,  he  and  the  horse 
enjoyed  a  succulent  meal,  which  in  some  measure 
allayed  his  thirst ;  and  thus  he  avoided  the  use  of 
water  for  cooking.  The  next  day  they  marched  at 
least  twenty  miles ;  and  the  vegetation  showed 
their  more  southern  latitude,  for  the  patches  of 
scrub  belonged  to  the  singular  family  of  Protece 
They  were  of  the  genus  called  Banksia,  which  is 
formed  of  long,  narrow,  prickly  leaves,  deeply  in- 
dented, and  brownish  green  in  colour,  shooting 
athwart  each  other,  and  forming  a  mass  not  less 
vexatious  and  difficult  than  the  thorny  Acacias. 
On  halting  in  the  evening,  before  composing  him- 
self to  sleep,  Captain  Spencer  took  only  a  small 
quantity  of  meal-cake,  for  fear  meat  should  make 
him  thirsty ;  but  Gip  was  fed  as  usual.  They 
again  started  in  the  morning  with  a  very  small 
allowance  of  water,  a  privation  which  the  poor 
animals  took  very  patiently ;  and  after  walking 
some  time  through  melancholy  scrub,  they  found 
themselves  standing  on  the  edge  of  table-land,  and 
beyond  the  steep  and  rapid  descent  lay  a  scene  of 
tncommon  beauty. 


•    CHAPTER    Vi 

Ded  of  a  river — Native  women — Captain  Spencer  finds  water  by 
digging — Diamond  birds — Charlie  frightens  birds  away — Captaiu 
Spencer  takes  yams  from  women — Gives  a  horse«shoe  in  ex- 
change— Conduct  of  the  natives  with  the  horse-shoe — Kangaroo 
— Howling  of  native  dogs — Captain  Spencer  eats  a  dog — Holes 
of  dirty  water — Gipsy  falls  into  one  of  them — Comes  out  covered 
with  mud — Birds  driven  away  by  Charlie — Snake  under  saddle — 
A  cry  of  distress — Finds  the  native  whose  arm  had  been  broken 
and  lamed  by  a  thorn  in  the  foot — Captain  Spencer  saves  him — 
Kinchela,  name  of  native — Speaks  Malay — Tells  his  history — 
Conversation  between  the  Englishman  and  Australian — Captain 
Spencer  goes  to  a  well — Einchela  cooks — Discourse  about  Boyl- 
ya's — Kinchela  afraid  of  Tiger — Opinion  of  Captain  Spencer 
among  natives — Kinchela  ignorant  of  way  to  Perth — Promises 
to  lake  Captain  Spencer  to  white  men — Asks  so  earnestly  to  go 
with  him  that  no  refusal  can  be  given — Grubs  in  Grass-tree — 
Frogs — Charlie  interferes  with  Kinchela's  lesson  in  English — 
Scarcity  of  clothes. 

The  bed  of  a  noble  river,  which  had  once  wa- 
tered a  fertile  plain,  presented  itself  to  the  eyes 
of  Captain  Spencer;  how  long  it  had  ceased  to 
flow  he  could  not  tell ;  but  he  thought  if  in  their 
necessity  they  followed  it  towards  its  source,  they 
should  find  water,  and  be  able  to  return  to  their 
proper  path ;  for,  in  spite  of  his  uncertainties,  the 
traveller  tenaciously  persisted  in  following  the 
compass  towards  the  spot  in  which  he  imagined 
Perth  to  be  situated.  They  descended  the  table- 
(104) 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  165 

'and,  and  perceived  some  women  and  children 
peated  in  the  channel  of  the  stream,  and  with 
hands  and  sticks  scraping  a  hole,  as  if  for  the  pur- 
pose of  procuring  water.  He  watched  them  for 
6ome  time ;  and  seeing  them  kneel  down,  and  put 
their  mouths  to  the  hole  which  they  had  made,  he 
exclaimed,  "  Thank  God,  there  is  relief  for  us ;" 
and  Avith  a  lightened  heart  he  proceeded  towards 
the  spot.  The  river,  when  full,  must  have  been 
of  considerable  breadth;  and  had,  perhaps,  even 
within  a  few  months,  overflowed  much  of  the  luxu- 
riant valley  through  which  it  ran  ;  for  there  were 
many  signs  of  former  torrents ;  such  as  fallen 
trees,  which  had  been  brought  from  a  distance, 
(nothing  like  them  existing  in  the  neighbourhood,) 
masses  of  soil,  &c.  "  How  I  should  like,"  said 
he  traveller,  "  to  follow  the  track  of  this  river, 
and  see  the  forest  whence  that  noble  timber  came, 
so  much  larger  than  any  I  have  yet  encountered  ! 
In  spite  of  my  thankfulness  for  having  hitherto 
found  enough  to  subsist  upon,  I  get  weary  of  oc- 
cupying my  whole  existence  in  procuring  the 
wherewithal  to  eat  and  drink,  and  thinking  each 
day  of  the  appetite  of  the  morrow." 

On  arriving  at  the  shining  white  sand  of  the 
water-course,  some  little  distance  from  the  natives, 
tie  began  to  dig  with  his  shovel,  and  was  not  a  lit- 
tle surprised  to  see  some  beautiful  little  birds*  fly 

*  Diarnoud  Birdd,  or  Auiaudina. 


166        AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

in  numbers  around  him,  and  even  perch  upon  hia 
spade,  as  if  thej  knew  what  he  was  seeking,  and 
■W'ere  determined  to  have  the  first  drink.  He  could 
not  bear  to  take  any  of  them  for  food,  when  they 
placed  such  confidence  in  him ;  and  when  the  wa- 
ter rose  in  the  hole,  which  it  soon  did,  he  suffered 
them  to  satisfy  themselves  ;  but  Tiger,  who  seemed 
to  smell  the  liquid,  without  waiting  to  be  unloaded, 
rushed  to  the  spot,  and  kneeling  down,  put  them 
to  flight,  and  himself  luxuriated  in  a  long  draught. 
Gipsy  followed  his  example,  with  whom  Captain 
Spencer  was  a  sharer ;  and  then  the  little  crea- 
tures again  assembled,  only  to  be  again  dispersed 
by  Charlie,  who  dashed  in  among  them,  screaming 
out,  "  Rogues  !  scoundrels  !"  as  he  always  did  to 
his  feathered  brethren,  and  helping  himself, 
screeched  and  flapped  his  wings,  as  if  he  were  the 
tyrant  king  of  plumed  creatures. 

Having  been  hitherto  so  unsuccessful  with  the 
men  of  the  native  tribes,  Captain  Spencer  thought 
this  would  be  an  excellent  opportunity  of  trying 
to  conciliate  the  women  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  di- 
rected his  steps  towards  them,  they  all  uttered  a 
clamorous  cry  and  ran  away.  In  their  haste  they 
abandoned  some  j^ims  which  they  had  with  them 
and  he  took  some  of  them  for  himself.  By  way 
of  payment,  however,  he  laid  one  of  Tiger's  old 
-hoes  in  their  place  He  then  retired  to  a  dis 
36,  and  with  his  glass  watched  their  movements. 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     167 

After  some  time  tlicy  cautiously  returned  to  the 
Bpot  they  had  left,  turned  the  horse-shoe  over  and 
over  again  Avith  a  stick,  then  they  struck  it,  and  at 
last,  as  if  con\nnced  that  it  was  harmless,  one  of 
them  took  it  up,  examined  it,  and  looked  through 
the  holes  where  the  nails  had  been.  The  •  otliers 
imitated  her,  and  seemed  to  think  it  incompre- 
hensible. At  last,  running  back  to  a  man  who 
now  advanced  towards  them,  and  who  walked  as 
if  he  were  lame,  they,  with  many  energetic  ges- 
tures, appeared  to  relate  all  their  adventures  to 
him.  He  gravely  inspected  the  horse-shoe,  looked 
also  through  the  holes,  and  then,  one  of  the  wo- 
men giving  him  a  piece  of  cord  out  of  a  bag  which 
slie  carried  upon  her  back,  lie,  by  means  of  it, 
fastened  it  round  his  neck,  and  iliou  they  all  dis- 
appeared, probacy  to  their  dwelling-place.  It 
was  for  some  little  time  a  subject  of  debate  with 
the  traveller,  whether  he  should  go  after  them, 
and  try  to  improve  any  good  impression  which  he 
might  have  made,  or  pursue  his  way.  At  last,  the 
uncertainty  of  being  successful,  deterred  him  from 
straying  in  that  direction  ;  and  filling  his  cans,  &c., 
he  in  the  evening  departed.  He  passed  over  many 
low  hills,  which  were  fatiguing  from  their  rugged 
nature,  but  at  the  foot  of  which  he  was  still  able 
to  find  water  by  digging. 

Leaving  the  hills  behind  them,  they  the  next 
morninfT  entered  a  Hakea  scrub,  which  Hakea  ia 


168  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

a  Proteaceous  bush,  much  matted  together,  and 
Laving  large  prickly  leaves.  There  Gipsy  killed 
and  dragged  to  her  master  an  animal  which  was 
much  too  large  for  her  to  carry,  and  which  proved 
to  be  a  smaller  kind  of  kangaroo  than  he  had  yet 
seen.  She  laid  her  game  at  her  master's  feet,  sat 
down,  wagged  her  tail,  looked  in  his  face,  and 
seemed  so  earnestly  to  implore  him  to  cook  it,  that 
he  halted  a  little  sooner  than  usual ;  and  making 
a  rude  imitation  of  a  native  oven,  contrived  to 
bake  it,  for  he  could  not  a-fford  water  for  the  pre- 
paration of  his  food.  He  always  made  a  quantity 
of  cakes  whenever  he  filled  his  cans,  not  knowing 
when  he  should  be  able  to  mix  the  meal  again. 
He  cut  the  Kangaroo  in  pieces  after  skinning  it, 
and  wrapped  it  in  some  of  the  young  twigs  of  the 
scrub,  covered  it  well  with  clods  of  earth  and 
bushes,  and  was  tolerably  successful,  finding  this 
a  much  more  nutritious  method  than  boiling. 
There  were  probably  numbers  of  the  same  animal 
in  that  part  of  the  country  ;  for  at  night  the  native 
dogs  kept  up  such  a  screeching  and  howling,  "  such 
a  row,"  as  Charlie  grumbled  to  himself,  that  Cap- 
tain Spencer  could  only  compare  the  noise  to  the 
yel  lings  of  infernal  spirits,  congregated  there  to 
forbid  him  to  advance.  The  next  morning  he, 
without  any  compunction,  shot  one  of  them  which 
he  saw  crossing  the  scrub,  and  carrying  it  with 
him,  cooked  it  iis  he  had  done  the  Kangaroo.     To 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  169 

his  taste  it  was  very  good  eating,  but  Gipay  would 
not  touch  what  perhaps  she  thought  was  one  of 
her  own  kind. 

Holes  with  dirty  water,  evidently  dug  by  the 
natives,  were  occasionally  met  with,  but  no  signs 
of  streams  saluted  the  thirsty  mouths  of  the  travel- 
lers, and  even  these  holes  appeared  to  have  been 
filled  with  the  drainings  of  the  surrounding  soil. 
Gipsy  and  Tiger  did  not  hesitate  to  drink  from 
them,  but  it  was  sometime  before  their  master  could 
prevail  on  himself  to  follow  their  example.  He 
saw  Gipsy  slip  into  one ;  and  as  she  kicked  and 
struggled,  he  thought  she  must  be  choking,  and 
went  to  her  relief.  He  pulled  her  out  by  the  hind 
legs,  and  could  not  help  laughing  at  her  appear- 
ance. Half  her  body  was  covered  with  thick  mud  ; 
she  sneezed,  tried  to  get  it  off  with  her  paws,  but 
they  were  also  encased  in  mud  ;  and  she  then  ran 
into  the  scrub,  and  by  dint  of  rubbing  and  rolling, 
managed  to  get  rid  of  the  greater  portion.  Her 
master  hoped,  by  enlarging  the  hole,  to  make  the 
water  run  more  freely  into  it,  but  nothing  came 
except  mud  ;  and  therefore  taking  two  handker- 
chiefs, he  filled  them  with  it,  and  placing  each  on 
the  top  of  a  can,  he  filtered  enough  for  Tiger  and 
himself ;  Charlie,  by  dipping  his  bill  into  the  hole, 
procured  enough  for  his  moderate  desires.  Cap- 
tain Spencer  found  an  unexpected  advantage  in 
the  hole  ;  for  as  soon  as  he  left  it,  Pigeons,  a  beau* 
15 


170  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS, 

tifui  Falco  hypoleucus,  very  like  the  Gyr  Falcon 
of  Europe,  some  of  the  Swallow  tribe,  Finches, 
Honey-eaters,  and  others  which  were  new  to  him, 
flocked  round  it  to  drink,  and  were  afterwards 
driven  away  by  the  hasty  arrival  of  Parrots  and 
Cockatoos,  which  made  Gipsy  growl,  and  Charlie 
utter  his  usual  abuse  ;  among  all  of  which  he,  how- 
ever, secured  a  whole  bagful  of  birds  for  future 
provision. 

Green,  juicy  grass  was  no  longer  to  be  found, 
except  in  small  patches,  and  these  were  very  rare  ; 
but  Tiger  wisely  accommodated  himself  to  circum- 
stances, and  grazing  upon  vhe  young  shoots  of 
scrub,  apparently  had  wisdom  enough  to  be  quite 
satisfied  with  them.  It  was  almost  with  reluctance 
that  his  master  left  even  the  muddy  hole,  so  uncer- 
tain was  he  now  of  finding  water ;  but  filtering  as 
much  as  his  cans  and  skins  would  hold,  he  again 
continued  his  journey.  The  nights  were  now  so 
much  warmer,  and  there  was  such  a  total  absence 
of  dew,  that  the  party  no  longer  huddled  together 
under  the  tarpauling ;  but  Captain  Spencer,  wrap- 
ping himself  up  in  his  cloak,  generally  laid  his 
head  upon  the  saddle  instead  of  upon  Tiger ;  it 
was  with  a  shudder  tliat  he  heard  a  s^ght  rustling 
as  he  was  about  to  fall  asleep,  and  instantly  start- 
ing up,  he  lifted  his  pillow,  and  saw  a  snake  coiled 
up,  which  had  crept  under  for  shelter.  He  beat 
\,he  s(?rub  well  all  round  him,  and  sat  down,  intend' 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.        171 

ing  to  sleep  in  that  posture  ;  but  slumber  bad  fled : 
and  as  he  bat  in  the  bright  moonlight,  which  tinged 
a  large  extent  of  country  with  its  bright  and  sil- 
very hues,  he  thought  he  heard  a  wailing  voice  at 
a  distance.     Gipsy  at  that  same  instant  put  up  her 
head  and  barked,  and  in  a  moment  both  master 
and  doo-  were  on  their  feet  in  order  to  find  the 
person  from  whom  the  cry  of  distress  proceeded. 
Gip  led  the  way,  and  not  far  off  lay  a  young  Aus- 
tralian, who  now  and  then  uttered  a  plaintive  cry 
Captain  Spencer  knelt  beside  him,  found  that  his 
pulse  still  beat  strongly,  although  he  appeared  to 
be  very  helpless,  and  he  imagined  that  the  sufferer 
had  met  with  some  accident  which  had  disabled  him 
from  walking.    He  therefore  bega.n  to  examine  the 
legs ;    one  of  them  was  very  hot,  and  as  he  ap- 
proached the  foot  he  found  it  was  very  much  swol- 
len ;  a  sudden  start  and  groan  from  the  man,  as 
he  gently  passed  his  fingers  over   one  part,  con- 
vinced him  that  a  thorn  was  in  it,  and  nothing 
could  be  done  but  to  wait  till  the  morning,  in  order 
to  try  and  extract  it.     How  to  procure  temporary 
relief  was  the  great  difficulty,  for  he  scarcely  dared 
waste  his  scanty  portion  of  water  in  bathing  the 
part  affected,  and  rubbing  would  make  it  worse. 
While  trying  to  invent  some  means  of  cooling  it, 
the  poor  creature  exclaimed,  "Yampee,  yampee !" 
Then  opening  his  eyes,  he  fixed  them  on  the  white 
man.  as   if   not   perfectly  conscious   of  what  wa.« 


172  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

passing.  What  these  words  meant  CaptaiTi  Spen- 
cer could  not  guess ;  but  the  swollen  tongue  and 
lips,  the  heat  of  the  skin,  and  inflamed  foot,  all 
betokened  thirst,  and  he  congratulated  himself 
that  he  had  still  water  to  give  him  without  abso- 
lutely depriving  his  horse  and  dog  of  it.  He  im- 
mediately poured  some  into  his  shell ;  and  lifting 
the  native's  head  so  as  to  lean  against  his  shoulder, 
he  gave  him  some  to  drink,  and  with  pleasure  saw 
the  relief  which  it  evidently  afforded.  He  laid  the 
man  down  again,  and  formed  a  pillow  for  him  with 
his  cloak  ;  and  raising  his  foot  on  to  the  saddle,  so 
that  it  should  not  touch  anything,  he  moved  all  his 
baggage  to  the  spot,  and  told  Tiger  and  Charlie  to 
come  and  lie  down  there.  He  then  chopped  off  a 
piece  of  the  thickest  scrub  he  could  find,  and 
fanned  his  patient  with  it  till  he  fell  asleep.  He 
ventured  himself  to  doze  a  little  as  he  sat  by  him ; 
once  or  twice  he  gave  him  water  during  the  night, 
and  at  length  sufiicient  light  came  to  enable  him 
to  examine  the  foot  more  thoroughly.  The  man 
still  slept,  and  he  took  his  knife,  and  sharpening  it 
upon  the  leathern  belt  which  he  wore  round  his 
waist,  he  firmly  but  gently  grasped  the  leg  with 
one  hand,  and  with  the  other  quickly  drew  the 
knife  across  the  swelling.  The  thorn  was  instantly 
discovered ;  and  he  drew  a  pair  of  small  forceps 
from  the  handle  of  the  said  knife,  and  extracted  a 
long,  sharp  spine  of  Acacia.    The  native  gave  a  yell 


CAPTAIX    Sl'ENCER    HEALS    THE   NATIVE'S   EOOT. 

1  Page  1T3. 1 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  173 

of  pain,  and  to  soothe  him  Captain  Spencer  hehl  up 
the  thorn  for  him  to  look  at.  The  poor  creature 
nodded  his  head,  and,  sick  and  exhausted,  fell  back 
igam  and  slept  His  doctor  bruised  some  of  the 
tender  leaves  of  a  plant  which  looked  very  much 
like  a  Mallow,  and  bound  the  foot  up  in  them  ;  and 
as  his  patient  lay,  he  watched  by  him,  and  pleased 
himself  with  the  hope,  that  not  only  had  he  re- 
lieved a  suffering  fellow-creature,  but  that  perhaps 
through  him  he  might  obtain  the  good-will  of  soukv 
of  his  countrymen ;  a  still  more  comforting  sug- 
gestion arose,  which  was,  that  as  these  people 
knew  every  nook  and  corner  of  their  country,  this 
man  might  take  him  to  Perth,  and  perhaps  for  the 
present  point  out  the  possibility  of  procuring  wa- 
ter. Of  provisions  there  was  an  ample  supply  for 
a  few  days,  and  he  was  in  no  hurry.  If  he  had 
been,  it  would  have  made  no  difference ;  for  no- 
thing would  have  induced  him  to  leave  any  one  in 
so  helpless  a  condition  as  that  of  the  Australian. 

When  the  young  man  awoke,  the  word  "  Yam- 
pee"  again  issued  from  his  lips ;  and  half  raising 
himself,  he  pointed  -to  the  water-can.  Captain 
Spencer  supplied  him,  but  at  the  same  time  point- 
ing to  himself  and  Gipsy,  who  was  close  by,  he 
made  signs  that  he  must  leave  some  for  them. 
The  man  nodded,  and  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  En- 
glishman "with  a  look  full  of  gratitude,  which  sud- 
denly changed  to  surprise,  and  he  exclaimed,  "  Ho ! 
15* 


174         AUSTRALIAN     AVANDERERS. 

tto  r  "  Ho  tto  to  De  sure,  said  Charlie,  and  s 
look  of  alarm  pervaded  the  features  of  the  native, 
who  remained  silent  for  a  minute  or  two ;  he  then 
rapidly  uttered  a  long  speech,  not  one  word  of 
which  was  comprehensible  to  his  benefactor,  but 
among  the  numerous  signs  which  he  made,  he 
pointed  to  a  distance,  and  then  to  his  arm.  and 
Captain  Spencer  looking  at  him  attci  vely, 
thought  that  his  face  was  familiar  to  him.  Then 
the  adventure  of  the  broken  arm  recurred  to  his 
memory,  and  in  his  present  patient  he  recognised 
the  person  for  whom  he  had  in  the  north  officiated 
as  surgeon.  He  also  remembered  that  the  party 
had  spoken  Malay ;  and  as  he  also  could  eonverse 
in  it,  a  mode  of  communication  with  the  young 
man  was  opened.  He  immediately  addressed  him 
in  that  language  ;  the  face  of  the  native  brightened 
as  he  comprehended  what  was  said,  and  in  reply, 
told  the  Englishman  that  he  belonged  to  one  of 
the  northern  tribes,  and  just  after  seeing  him  he 
had  come  towards  the  south  in  search  of  nuts  and 
yams,  and  to  catch  fish  in  the  rivers  ;  that  he  and 
his  people  had  had  a  quarrel  with  some  of  those 
among  whom  they  had  come,  and  that  they  had 
fought.  His  father  and  brother  had  been  killed, 
and  several  of  the  other  people ;  in  consequence 
of  which  he  had  been  kept  to  supply  the  place  of 
the  dead,  and  ever  since  lived  in  the  south.  He 
had  been  travelling  with  a  party  from  place  to 


dOSTBALIAN     WANDERERS  Ith 

place,  as  they  all  did  wnen  water  una  provision, 
were  scarce,  and  had  run  this  thorn  into  his  foot. 
His  companions  had  tried  to  get  it  out  for  him,  bm 
had  only  broken  and  pushed  it  in  still  further  ;  and 
as  he  could  no  longer  walk  w^ith  them,  they  had 
left  him  there  to  die.  Captain  Spencer  asked  if 
they  had  g-iven  him  anything  to  eat  or  drink  when 
they  went  away ;  to  which  he  replied  that  they 
themselves  had  very  little,  that  each  was  obliged 
to  provide  for  himself,  and  that  in  times  of  scarcity  old 
and  sick  persons  were  often  left  behind,  and  died  for 
want  of  nourishment.  He  added  that  he  had  seen 
Gaptain  Spencer  more  than  once  in  liis  journeys, 
and  frequently,  when  his  people  were  going  to 
attack  him,  he  told  them  what  the  good  white  man 
had  done  for  him,  and  then  they  left  him  un- 
molested. 

There  was  something  so  cheering  even  in  the 
society  of  this  savage,  that  Captain  Spencer's 
spirits,  which  had  never  entirely  recovered  after 
the  depression  occasioned  by  the  bite  of  the  ser- 
pent, insensibly  rose,  and  he  became  as  hopeful  as 
ever  for  his  eventual  safety.  He,  however,  looked 
forward  with  pain  to  the  time  when  he  and  his  hu- 
man companion  must  separate.  He  asked  him  if 
there  were  any  water  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
the  native  directed  him  to  a  hollow  at  some  dis- 
tance, where  he  said  his  people  had  dug  a  well, 
and  left  it  full   wJicu   they  pa,-,:icJ,  Loping  to  find 


l*r-  AUSTRALIAN.  WANDERERS. 

some  remaining  on  their  return.  Calling  Tiger  to 
him,  the  horse  neighed,  at  which  the  countenance 
of  the  Australian  betrayed  the  utmost  alarm,  and 
he  screamed  and -hid  his  face  in  his  hands  as  the 
■d,nimai  trotted  up  to  his  master,  and  laid  its  nose 
upon  his  sliouldei  Captam  Spencer  tried  tv  re 
concile  him  to  the  docile  creature,  who  would  liave 
made  friends  with  him  most  willingly,  but  the  man 
shuddered,  and  said  it  was  a  "big,  big,  dag,"  and 
then  lowering  his  voice,  added  that  he  was  a  boyl 
ya.  The  repetition  of  this  word  struck  the  En- 
glishman, but  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  be  off  for  water ; 
so  he  put  the  saddle  on  the  horse's  back,  laid  all  his 
things  together,  except  the  cans  and  skins,  under 
the  tarpauling,  made  the  native  understand  that 
he  was  to  take  care  of  them  till  his  return,  and 
springing  into  the  saddle,  was  off  in  a  moment, 
Tiger  occasionally  jumping  into  the  air  over  patches 
of  scrub,  and  Gipsy  also,  who  emulated  hi^  frolics, 
and  Charlie  exclaiming,  "  What  a  row  !  hurrah  !" 
Some  limestone  ridges  were  passed,  the  well  vas 
found  covered  up  with  stones,  the  cans  and  skins, 
■were  filled.  Tiger  had  an  excellent  meal  off  the 
green  grass  which  surrounded  it,  he  and  Gipsy 
rolled  together,  and  Charlie  laughed ;  all  drank 
with  pleasure,  for  the  water  was  still  tolerably 
good,  and  all  returned  more  soberly  than  they  went ; 
the  weight  of  the  filled  vessels  convincing  Tiger  that 
his  time  for  play  was  over      They  found  that  the 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDEREKS.  177 

native  had  crawled  to  the  tarpauling,  and  laid  his 
head  upon  it ;  and  as  a  small  kangaroo  had  been 
shot,  there  was  every  prospect  of  the  necessaries 
of  life  for  at  least  a  few  days.  The  native  shud- 
dered and  crouched  as  Tiger  approached  ;  but  dis- 
mounting, his  master  again  let  him  loose,  and 
showed  the  kangaroo  to  the  man,  who  instantly 
exclaimed,  "  Wallabie  !"  and  said  he  would  cook  it. 
Captain  Spencer  gave  it  up  to  him,  and  although 
he  did  not  take  off  the  skin,  or  cut  it  up,  he  suf- 
fered him  to  go  on  in  his  own  way.  The  native, 
who  called  himself  Kinchela,  singed  off  the  hair  with 
pieces  of  burning  stick,  and  constructed  an  oven 
with  clods  of  earth  much  more  artistically  than  the 
Englishman  had  done,  who  supplied  him  with  the 
materials  as  he  asked  for  them,  and  watched  him 
with  interest.  He  heated  the  oven  in  the  same 
way,  but  left  the  ashes  in ;  he  wrapped  the  kanga- 
roo in  the  dry  herbage  which  grew  .  close  by, 
covered  it  carefully  with  more  clods  of  earth,  and 
then  excluded  the  air  entirely  with  boughs  of  scrub. 
When  the  time  came  for  the  meal  to  be.  ready  the 
gravy  was  in  it,  and  the  superiority  of  native  cook- 
ery was  evident.  "How  associating  with  our 
fellow-men  takes  the  conceit  out  of  us  !"  said  Cap 
tain  Spencer.  "I  have  been  fancying  myself,  of 
late  at  least,  equal  to  that  Soycr  of  Avhom  I  have 
read  in  tl,(."  English  papers,  and  now  the  first  sa- 
vage   with   whom    I    meet  far   out-docs    my    best 


I7t  -hOSTRALIAN      <*-.  NOEBER8 

efforts."  He  was,  however,  somewhat  consoled 
when  he  saw  with  what  avidity  the  savage  devoured 
the  yain  cakes  made  English  fashion,  and  was  sur- 
prised when  the  man  shared  the  entrails  with 
Gii);y,  which  he  seemed  to  prefer  to  the  other  parts 
of  the  kangaroo.  Some  tops  of  Grass-trees,  which 
had  gro^s'n  in  the  hollov/,  were  also  cooked  in  the 
oven  ;  but  before  he  put  them  in,  Kinchela  ex- 
amined all  the  ] eaves  separately,  una  picked  some- 
thing out  of  thom  which  he  put  into  his  mouth. 
Can  lie  be  eating  raw  insects?  thought  Captain 
Spencer.  A  .Ijag  of  dried  Unios  was  still  left, 
which  wlien  offered  to  the  native  he  rejected  with 
horror,  saying  "  the  boyl-yas  Avould  eat  him  when 
he  was  asleep  if  he  took  them,  and  he  must  sleep 
to  get  well." 

The  repast  being  finished,  and  Kinchela  appear- 
ing to  be  free  from  pain,  Captain  Spencer  asked 
him  what  he  meant  by  a  boyl-ya ;  on  which  he 
shook  his  head  mysteriously,  and  it  was  long  be- 
fore he  could  be  prevailed  on  to  answer.  At  last 
he  said  that  a  boyl-ya  was  a  sorcerer,  and  turning 
towards  the  unconscious  Tiger  with  a  look  of  ap- 
prehension, he  was  again  silent.  Captain  Spencer 
could  not  for]>ear  a  smile,  but  not  wishing  to  hurt 
the  man's  feelings,  he  concealed  it,  and  begged  to 
know  Avliy  the  people  had  called  him  a  sorcerer. 
Lowering  his  wiice,  Kinchela,  with  some  hesitation, 
^aid,  ''that  ■^\\  his  people  believed  him  to  be  one 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  179 

For  many  reasons  :  that  lie  travelled  alone,  which 
I- w  fiir.e  uiiii.  liiio  -vfi  (uiic  bet'ort  jm;  h*  looko!" 
iL  s^ymettiiri^  whict.  r^  neid  in  nii-  nitinn.  nn.l  r,htM 
seemed  to  know  which  way  to  go ;  tnat  he  nad  a 
little  black  dog,  not  at  all  like  their  dingoes  (dogs), 
which  made  an  odd  noise,  and  was  also  a  boyl-ya, 
for  he  knew  everything  its  master  said ;  and  that 
he  had  also  a  big  dog,  not  like  a  dog  at  all,  that 
was  a  still  bigger  boyl-ya,  that  was  very  fierce, 
upon  which  he  sometimes  flew  away  in  the  midst 
of  noise  and  smoke  ;  that  he  himself  killed  every 
thing  by  fire,  and  sometimes  pulled  the  fire  out  of 
his  body  (alluding  to  the  pistols  which  Captain 
Spencer  carried  in  his  belt) ;  and  that  when  he 
wanted  to  cut  down  grass  he  only  touched  it  with 
his  big  knife,  and  then  it  fell.  Kinchela  spoke  of 
the  death  of  the  tall  man  as  known  every  where,  and 
all  supposed  he  had  been  killed  because  he  defied 
the  boy]-ya,  and  wished  to  destroy  him.  He  said 
that  it  was  understood  in  various  places  that  a 
boyl-ya  was  going  through  the  country,  which  some 
tliouglit  would  be  a  blessing  and  others  a  curse, 
and  therefore  the  latter  were  determined  to  do 
him  all  the  mischief  they  could." 

Captain  Spencer  was  highly  amused  at  the  cha- 
racter under  which  he  had  passed  among  these 
people,  and  also  at  the  scaring  influence  of  Tiger's 
mane  and  tail,  which,  <uldcd  to  his  capers,  had 
doubtless  confirmed  the   idea  of  his    flying.     He 


180  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

was,  however,  surprised  at  the  intimate  knowledge 
which  was  possessed  of  all  his  actions,  proving 
Qow  incessant]}'  he  must  have  been  watched.  On 
mentionnig  his  stay  by  the  side_  ot  ttie  lake,  Km 
chela  told  him  that  "  tJie  natives  avoided  ium  b^ 
living  on  the  other  side,  but  that  they  peeped 
at  him  over  the  tops  of  the  hills,  or  from  the 
trees  in  which  they  hid  themselves  ;  that  they 
thought  the  large  tarpauling  was  a  cloud  which 
made  him  and  his  attendant  spirits  invisible,  for 
never  before  did  birds  sleep  with  dogs  and  man, 
and  talk  as  Charlie  did,  which  proved  what  clever 
sorcerers  all  of  these  were,  and  that  the  white 
man's  visit  and  escape  from  the  caves  where  so 
many  sorcerers  lived,  had  raised  their  idea  of  his 
influence,  and  showed  that  he  exceeded  all  others 
in  power." 

The  foot  was  healing  fast,  the  water  was  again 
low  in  quantity,  and  wishing  to  fetch  some  more, 
and  yet  not  leave  the  xlustralian,  Captain  Spencer, 
hoping  that  he  had  convinced  the  poor  man  of  the 
harmlessness  of  himself  and  companions,  proposed 
that  he  should  ride  on  Tiger's  back  and  go  with 
him;  by  which  means  the  recovery  of  the  foot 
would  not  be  impeded  by  exercise;  but  Kinchela's 
horror  w?s  so  great  at  the  idea,  that  it  was  in  vain 
to  try  and  persuade  him ;  the  Englishman  there- 
fore returned  to  the  well  alone,  and  procured  the 
proper  su})ply.     During  his  absence  Kinchela  tried 


A  U  S  T  R  A  L  I  A  Jv^    WANDERERS,  '^81 

to  walk  a  little  way,  and  had  reached  some  little 
distance  from  the  place  where  they  had  bivouacked. 
It  was  then  that  Captain  Spencer  thought  of  sew- 
ing the  lame  foot  up  in  a  piece  of  his  most  pliant 
leather;  and  if  with  that  he  could  but  get  him  to 
the  place  where  the  well  was,  he  might  leaic  him 
with  every  prospect  of  being  able  to  secure  food ; 
he  had  been  going  to  the  north,  or  they  could  have 
travelled  together  for  a  short  time.  He  asked 
him  the  way  to  Perth  ;  but  the  name  ■vv^s  wholly 
unknown  to  Kinchela,  as  well  as  that  of  Swan 
River ;  and  it  was  impossible  by  any  allusion  to  it, 
to  bring  it  to  his  mind;  he  said  he ,  knew  there 
were  places  where  a  great  many  white  men  lived 
together,  and  made  a  ''big  smoke;"  but  he  had 
never  been  to  any  of  them.  The  reaching  Perth 
was  now  entirely  abandoned  by  the  traveller;  and 
he  inquired  if  the  man  knew  where  the  big  water 
was,  Avhere  the  ships  lived.  Kinchela  replied  in 
the  affirmative,  and  pointed  towards  it,  in  a  direc- 
tion which  was  very  different  to  that  which  the 
Englishman  would  have  taken,  and  which  perfectly 
bewildered  him.  He  said  that  "  plenty  of  white 
people  lived  a  great  way  off,"  and  pointed  to  the 
east ;  but  he  had  never  seen  them ;  and  then  Cap- 
tain Spencer  decided  on  making  the  sea  his  prin- 
cipal object ;  for  he  could  ascertain  nothing  re- 
specting any  other  object :  every  where,  the  native 
told  him.  there  was  but  little  water  fo)-  drinking 


18^  AUSTRALIAN     A\^ANDERERS. 

Captain  Spencer  made  all  preparations  for  start- 
ing ;  and  wiien  he  asked  Kinchela  if  he  thought 
he  should  soon  overtake  his  own  tribe,  the  poor 
man  seemed  perfectly  astonished,  and  said  he  was 
going  with  the  white  man ;  the  white  man,  how- 
ever, shook  his  head  ;  and  then  Kinchela  fell  upon 
his  knees,  bowed  himself  to  the  ground,  and  clasp- 
ing his  hands  together,  said,  "he  would  find  water 
f;.r  him,  catch  food  for  him,  do  anything  for  him, 
and  nev^  go  away  from  him  ;  that  his  father  and 
brother  were  all  dead ;  he  had  not  any  wife,  (gin 
as  he  called  her) ;  and  that  the  white  man  was  like 
his  brother  come  back  to  him ;  and  that  now  he 
would  never  go  any  whore  but  with  him."  Cap- 
tain Spencer  did  not  then  know  the  strange  ideas 
which  many  of  the  Australians  entertain  of  the 
reappearance  of  their  dead  relations  in  the  form 
of  white  men,  and  therefore  could  not  comprehend 
the  force  of  the  latter  part  of  Kinchela's  speech ; 
but  he  could  not  treat  his  solicitations  lightly.  At 
the  same  time  he  could  not  bear  to  drag  this  poor 
creature  all  over  the  continent,  and  then  leave  him 
among  strangers.  He  tried  to  explain  to  him  that 
he  lived  in  the  land  of  the  Malays ;  and  after  he 
had  seen  the  white  men  a  great  way  off,  he  should 
go  back  there  across  the  big  water,  and  never  re- 
turn to  Australia ;  that  he  had  plenty  of  servants 
in  the  Malay's  country ;  and  that  he  might  per- 
haps even  go  away  for  ever  from  them,  and  live 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDER  }]RS.  188 

among  white  men  entirely.  It  was  Udcless  to  make 
these  representations ;  Kinchela  implored,  gesti- 
culated, promised  everything  he  CH)uld  think  of 
likely  to  make  his  presence  desirable  ;  but  half  of 
,vhat  he  said  was  unintelligible,  both  from  its  vehe 
mence,  and  from  being  partly  in  his  native  lan- 
guage ;  however,  the  tears  which  rolled  down  his 
cheeks,  his  sorrow,  his  supplications  could  not  be 
mistaken,  and  Captain  Spencer  yielded  ;  on  which 
the  poor  fellow  laid  his  hands  upon  the  white 
man's  shoulders,  and  put  his  head  upon  his  breast. 
NoAv  it  would  be  necessary  to  secure  a  double 
stock  of  provisions  ;  and  while  thinking  of  this,  it 
airted  into  Captain  Spencer's  mind,  that  perhaps 
in  a  moment  of  frantic  hunger,  the  man  might  eat 
his  poor  Gip  ;  he,  however,  could  not  but  be  pleased 
on  the  whole  to  have  a  companion  which  would  re- 
lieve the  dreadful  solitude  he  had  often  found  so 
oppressive  ;  and  he  determined,  as  long  as  he  could, 
to  keep  up  some  sort  of  mysterious  influence,  both 
about  the  horse  and  dog,  which  might  render  them 
more  secure  ;  and  he  thought  that  if  he  at  length 
reached  a  settlement,  he  might  easily  find  some 
one  who  would  be  glad  to  engage  a  faithful  ser- 
vant, and  so  take  him  off  his  hands.  He  told  him 
that  he  must  obey  him  in  all  things,  which  the  man 
seemed  perfectly  to  comprehend  ;  and,  although  he 
thought  it  might  be  useless,  he  tried  to  convince 


1.84  AISTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

him   that  Tiger,  Gip,  and   Charlie,  were  to  be  as 
much  respected  as  himself. 

Now  came  the  consideration  of  food ;  and  the 
wisest  thing  appeared  to  be  a  final  visit  to  the  well 
to  increase  the  supplies  ;  and  when  Captain  Spen- 
cer announced  his  intention,  Kinchela  said  he  w^.k 
quite  able  to  walk,  and  if  he  did  not  do  all  thr.t 
was  right  by  the  white  man,  the  dogs  and  the  bird, 
and  other  boyl-yas,  he  knew  Avould  torment,  if  not 
eat  him.  His  master  made  over  to  him  the  two 
spears  which  he  had  secured  ,in  his  encounter  with 
the  natives,  and  which  he  had  never  used.  The 
man  seemed  to  be  delighted  with  the  present ;  ex- 
amined them,  poised  them  in  his  hand,  and  said  he 
would  make  a  throwing-stick  when  he  came  to  a 
tree. 

The  whole  party  moved  to  the  well,  Kinchela 
limping  a  little ;  but  he  leaned  on  one  of  the 
spears,  and  his  master  had  patience.  A  hut  of 
boughs  supported  by  a  stick,  Avas  erected,  the  ma- 
terials for  which  Captain  Spencer  chopped  down 
with  his  hatchet ;  and  as  there  were  some  fiiie  Gum- 
trees  of  a  hard  wood  near  by,  he  taught  Kinchela 
the  use  of  both  that  and  his  knife,  for  making  the 
throwing-stick  and  a  club ;  and  with  the  facility 
thus  aiforded,  the  native  was  delighted.  The 
Grass-trees  attracted  his  attention ;  but  instead  of 
choosing  the  best-1  coking,  he  went  to  those  which 
-SI  peared  to  be  dy  _.  ^  and  giving  one  a  kick,  it 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  185 

shook  ;  he  then  qtiite  knocked  it  over ;  and  taking 
a  piece  of  bark  from  a  Gum-tree,  he  sat  down 
upon  the  ground,  and  picked  from  it  more  than  a 
hundred  caterpillars  ;  he  ate  one  or  two  as  he  pro- 
ceeded ;  and  offered  some  to  his  master,  who  de- 
clined them  with  a  feeling  of  disgust.  Kinchela, 
however,  persevered,  and  wrapping  them  in  the 
piece  of  bark,  when  the  oven,  which  they  made  on 
their  arrival,  was  heated,  he  baked  them  ;  and  so 
earnestly  entreated  Captain  Spencer  to  taste  them, 
that  he  could  not  refuse.  To  his  surprise  he  found 
that  they  tasted  like  nuts ;  and  having  once  con- 
quered his  repugnance,  he  became  as  fond  of  them 
as  the  Australian  seemed  to  be.  Gripsy  also  ac- 
quired the  taste ;  and  Charlie,  who  had  always 
been  extremely  busy  among  the  Grass-tress,  and 
never  came  to  one  but  he  sat  on  the  top,  screeched, 
and  flapped  his  wings  before  he  began  to  eat ; 
seemed  to  have  quite  as  much  pleasure  in  eating 
cooked  as  well  as  raw  caterpillars :  saying,  as  he 
strutted  about,  "Very  good,  very  good." 

Frogs  were  caught  by  the  native,  and  cooked  in 
the  same  manner ;  and  of  these  Captain  Spencer 
immediately  partook,  the  Australian  having  taken 
out  the  intestines  ;  he  however  confined  himself 
solely  to  the  parts  which  are  eaten  in  France. 
Cockatoos  were  shot,  and  the  whole  cookery  was 
entirely  resigned  to  the  native,  who  plucked  the 

featheis  off,  folded   cl.-j  jntrails  in  a  piece  cf  1.  „■■  c 
16* 


186  AUSTRALIAN    WANDBrv£RS. 

by  themselves,  "nd  baked  them  ecparateiy,  reserv- 
ing them  for  hiaidelf,  being  now,  as  well  as  after- 
wards, perfectly  contented  with  them  for  his  share, 
pro-^ided  they  were  of  sufficient  size.  His  master 
saw  that  new  sources  of  food  would  be  opened  to 
him,  provided  he  could  conquer  preconceived  opin- 
ioud,  and  take  that  which  the  country  afforded,  and 
reasoning  with  himself,  he  made  a  determination 
from  that  moment,  to  eat  whatever  Kinchela  pro- 
vided for  him,  if  the  taste  were  not  disagreeable. 

The  next  day,  as  they  sat  together  after  their 
meal,  Kinchela  received  his  first  lesson  in  English, 
which  his  master  determined  to  teach  him  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Charlie  was  rather  a  hind- 
rance, for  he  also  repeated  the  words,  till  his  mas- 
ter scolaed  him,  and  then  he  repeated  the  scolding 
in  so  ludicrous  a  manner,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
help  laughing,  and  he  at  length  flew  away,  saying, 
"  Charlie,  you  rascal,  hold  your  tongue — Ha  !  ha ! 
ha !"  The  native  was  as  quick  as  Charlie,  and 
Captain  Spencer  was  surprised  at  his  daily  pro- 
gress. At  night,  the  bird,  before  he  Avent  to  sleep, 
repeated  everything  he  had  learned  in  the  day,  and 
completed  the  astonishment  of  the  Australian  by 
saying  in  a  sort  of  patronising  tone,  "Kinchela, 
that's  right,"  and  Kinchela  turned  his  eyes  towards 
him  with  fear  and  astonishment.  "  Good,"  thought 
the  Englishman  ;  "  he  will  think  Charlie  the  great- 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  187 

est  sorcerer  of  the  four  ;  this  shall  be  encouraged 
for  the  poor  bird's  safety." 

Clothes  were  mended;  the  two  pair  of  cloth 
trousers  were  dwindled  into  one,  and  these  were 
much  patched ;  the  thread  was  very  low,  the  shirts 
had  quite  disappeared,  but  the  beard,  a3  well  as 
moustaches  having  been  suffered  to  grow,  it  hid  the 
deficiency.  One  cloth  jacket  alone  survived  in  a 
serviceable  state,  and  those  of  linen  were  in  the 
utmost  state  of  delapidation ;  stockings  had  long 
been  gone,  but  thanks  to  the  moccasins,  the  shoes 
which  they  covered,  were  still  in  being.  "  What 
shall  I  do,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  "if  I  do  not 
get  to  some  habitable  place  before  long  ?  I  may 
emulate  my  friend  Kinchela  in  his  eating,  but  cer- 
tainly not  in  the  absence  of  his  wardrobe ;  I  must 
kill  some  more  kangaroos,  and  make  a  dress  of 
their  skins  ;  but  how  insufferably  hot  they  will  be ! 
Well,  patience  !" 

And  now  the  time  of  starting  was  arrived,  Cap- 
tain Spencer,  as  usual,  took  his  knapsack  on  his 
back,  which  was  much  too  light  for  his  comfort  or 
convenience  ;  he  also  carried  his  fire  arms,  his 
hatchet,  and  his  sword ;  Kinchela  took  the  speana, 
and  two  additional  bags  which  his  master  had  con- 
trived to  make  from  his  old  clothes,  to  hold  the  in- 
creased stock  of  provisions,  some  pieces  of  baik 
and  a  lighted  stick,  which  he  said  was  much  better 
than  for  white  man  to  make  fire  each  time  ;  an  \ 


188  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Tiger  had  liis  usual  burden.  They  at  first  pro- 
ceeded by  very  short  journeys,  on  account  of  Kin- 
chela's  foot  being  still  tender ;  but  before  many 
days  were  over  he  walked  perfectly  well ;  neverthe- 
less he  was  always  much  less  able  to  bear  a  long 
laarch  than  Captain  Spencer. 


CHAPTER    \^li 

Kinchela  still  afraid  of  Tiger — Zamia  trees — Kinehela's  first  lesson 
in  honesty — Bed  cf  a  small  lake — Improved  cuisine — AuL'tralians 
cannot  boil — Pire-stick — Wild  fowl— Birds — Kangaroo  caught  in 
Kinehela's  fashion — Kinchela  greedy — Reflections  of  Captain 
Spencer — Gums — Manna — Floss  Silk — Bee — Kinehela's  memory 
of  words — Cold  rain — Kinchela  catches  Opossums  —  Kinchela 
makes  a  cloak — Burnt  grass— Catch  animals  by  burning  scrub — 
Kinchela  mends  spear— Kinchela  talks  of  bad  black  men — Ma- 
gellanic clouds — Higher  hills — Wallabies — Talperos — Emu— Emu 
oil — Cross  the  mountains — Flies — Iguana — Kinehela's  fear  of  a 
telescope— Beautiful  scenery — Flowers — ^Lake  —  Ipomea — Ever- 
lastings— Nest  of  Leipoa — Banksias — Finches — Stork — Dragon- 
fly— Beetle — ^Fly — Grubs — Captain  Spencer  carries  Gipsy  every- 
where on  his  kn;ipsa.ck — Native  dogs — Wombat — Snake— Kmgia 
— Grevillia — Inga — Eugenia,  Ac. — Birds  and  insects — Buteo— 
Birds — Scenery — Pieces  of  crystal  and  agate— Flowers — Mack- 
intosh given  to  Kinchela — Fungus — Natives  frightened  away  by 
gun — Python — Arrive  at  the  Ocean. 

The  cheerfulness  of  the  travelling  party  was 
much  increased  by  the  addition  of  Kinchela,  for 
there  was  frequent  conversation  between  him  and 
his  master ;  an  1  animals  are  ahvays  cheered  by 
the  sound  of  the  human  voice.  Both  Gip  and  Ti- 
ger were  accustomed  to  dark  complexions,  and 
were  therefore  strongly  inclined  to  be  familiar 
with  their  new  companion  ;  more  so  than  he  liked, 
egpecially  as  concerhcd  the  horse,  towards  which 


190  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

ae  mb  teit  an  andefinabio  dread  Even  m  thf 
midsL  OL  cooking  ji  calking^  if  Tiger  whisked  hn 
tail,  he  stopped  short  and  looked  at  him  with  ter- 
ror. The  usual  practice  of  Captain  Spencer — 
that  of  bivouacking  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and 
marching  during  the  morning  and  evening  hours 
— was  adhered  to,  unless  any  unforeseen  event  oc- 
curred to  make  an  alteration  of  plan  desirable. 
The  first  morning  thcv  were  all  thus  travellino:  to- 
gether,  they  reached  some  Zamia  trees,  from  which 
Kinchela  was  about  to  gather  the  clustered  cones, 
but  liis  mastei'  stopped  him,  at  the  same  time  say- 
ing they  were  poisonous,  because  they  had  made 
him  very  ill  when  he  eat  them.  •  They  made 
white  man  ill,"  rejoined  Kinchtla,  •' because  be 
not  know,  and  he  eats  them  wet;"  be  addi.:!  that 
he  and  his  party  had  passed  that  spol,  and  buiied 
some  in  the  ground,  which  wouM  now  bo  fit  to  cut, 
and  he  would  take  them  up.  lie  sooit  Hnind  the 
spot,  and  with  the  shnrp  point  of  a  stick  turned 
them  out  of  the  boles.  Captain  Spencer  exam- 
ined, and  felt  that  they  were  perfectly  dry ;  and 
seeing  Kinchela  eat  them  freely,  ventured  to  follow 
his  example.  They  were  very  superior  in  flavour 
to  those  which  had  been  recently  gathered,  and  he  • 
did  not  experience  any  ill  effects  from  them.  Ti- 
ger and  Charlie  had  their  share,  with  whom  they 
also  agreed  ;  and  he  could  only  account  for  this 
by  supposing  that  the  oil   which   the^    originally 


I'  -  T  B  A  L  "^  A  y     W  A  N  D  E  B  K  R  ?  ,  1U"1 

contained  nau  aiameu  iron^  .10:11.  .vniic  ;ae v  wes 
in  the  ground.  For  every  one  which  he  had  taken 
from  the  holes,  he  made  Kinchela  substitute  a 
fresh  nut,  saying,  that  unless  he  replaced  them,  it 
would  be  robbing  those  who  had  made  the  deposit. 
Such  reasoning  surprised  Kinchela,  and  was  his 
first  lesson  in  the  eighth  commandment.  This 
seemed  to  be  the  southern  limit  of  these  trees, 
some  of  which  were  sixteen  feet  high ;  and  they 
did  not  meet  with  them  again. 

After  some  days'  journey,  with  a  miserable  sup- 
ply of  water,  the  party  reached  wbut  once  had 
been  a  small  lake,  surrounded  by  a  number  uf 
rounded  hills,  the  banks  of  which  were  muddy,  and 
the  <lry  bed  of  whic-li  was  full  of  large  and  deep 
cracks.  The  hitherto  successful  di.'igiug  was  h  )r^; 
again  tried,  and  water  was  reached  at  a  depth  of 
eight  feet  from  tlie  surface.  Ki;ichcla,  who-  had 
hitherto  used  only  his  hands  on  such  occasions, 
was  delighted  with  the  shovel,  and  seemed  to  think 
that  it  would  always  produce  water.  The  liquid 
was  at  first  of  the  most  disagreeable  flavour  ;  but 
all  except  Captain  Spencer  drank  it  without  dis- 
gust. He  not  only  waited  till  a  larger  quantity 
had  risen  into  the  hole,  but,  to  the  astonishment 
of  the  native,  lie  boiled  it ;  indeed,  the  process  of 
boiling  always  seemed  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise 
to  him;  for  as  tlsc  Australiar.s  liave  no  vessels 
which  will  stand  the  fire,  they  cannot   effect  this 


192    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

method  of  heating  food ;  and  Kiuchela  often  took 
up  the  hot  can  and  looked  at  it,  in  doing  which  he 
more  than  once  burnt  Ids  fingers. 

According  to  Captain  Spencer's  expectation,  he 
was  now  intro<hiced  to  a  multitude  of  novelties  for 
his  cuisine,  and  among  others  was  the  root  of  o 
fern,  which  he  had  often  seen  before,  and  which, 
when  baked  and  powdered  intij  '.;ieal,  was  excellent. 
No  more  yams  were  found,  but  the  tubers  of  rushes, 
and  of  a  plant  something  like  a  reed,*  yielded  a 
good  supply  of  farinaceous  substance ;  and  Kin- 
chela  soon  learnt  from  his  master  hoAV  to  make  it 
into  cakes,  similar  to  those  of  oatmeal. 

By  degrees  the  Australian  became  accustomed 
to  the  sound  of  the  gun  and  pistols,  but  never 
evinced  the  least  desire  to  touch  them;  and  his 
master  thought  it  well  that  he  should  continue  to 
feel  this  lepugnance.  He  always  carried  the  fire- 
stick,  the  lighted  end  of  which  was  wrapped  in 
grass  or  bark,  so  that  it  remained  in  a  smouldering' 
state,  and  was  a  most  acceptable  saving  of  the 
powder  hitherto  used  in  lighting  the  fires,  or  the 
more  laborious  process  of  friction  with  two  pieces 
of  wood.  As  usual,  when  water  was  procured  by 
digging,  birds  flocked  round  in  an  incredibly  short 
space  of  time,  and  ample  food  was  thus  supplied ; 
several  sorts  of  wild  fowlf  issued  from  the  reeds  ; 
an  Eagle  also  made  its  appearance,  but  did  not 

*  Pot;imoi:eton.  +  Teal  aud  Anseranus  melanoleuca. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  193 

alight,  unless  it  had  descended  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  it  was  seen  at  a  distance,  flying  away  as 
if  satisfied.  The  incessant  Cockatoos,  always  an- 
nounced by  Gip's  growls,  brought  some  of  their 
young  ones,  just  able  to  fly,  and  making  a  noise 
like  young  frogs,  to  the  increase  of  Gip's  anger, 
and  which  Charlie  provokingly  imitated ;  then 
came  Parrots,  Parrakeets,  and  Pigeons,  a  bird 
which  made  a  glucking  sound,  some  Honey- eaters, 
with  cheerful  notes  and  gaily  coloured  plumage, 
and  another  bird,  which,  after  uttering  a  long,  clear 
whistle,  ended  with  a  cry  like  the  smart  crack  of 
a  postilion's  whip  ;  Fly-catchers  and  a  Platycercus 
added  to  the  number,  the  latter  having  a  sea-green 
body  and  yellow  shoulders  ;  and  Kinchela's  hands 
were  full  with  catching  them  in  all  sorts  of  ways. 
He  was  very  skilful  in  setting  snares ;  and  one  of 
his  traps  was  composed  of  two  rods,  placed  among 
the  grass,  and  meeting  at  the  top,  from  which  part 
hung  a  noose  made  of  twisted  fibres  of  bark,  so 
that  the  birds,  as  they  ran  along,  thrust  their 
heads  into  the  loop,  which  immediately  closed  round 
their  throats  and  choked  them. 

An  enormous  Kangaroo  was  started,  and  Kin- 
chela,  anxious  to  show  his  powers,  entreated  Cap- 
tain Spencer  to  keep  Gip  away,  and  let  him  kill  it 
without  assistance  ;  so  to  gratify  him  his  master 
held  the  dog  in  his  arms  to  ensure  her  forbearance. 
The  native  then  gathered  a  large  bough,  which 
17 


194  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

effectually  concealed  his  person,  and  holding  it 
before  him,  he  craitiously  and  stealthily  advanced 
towards  his  victim.  The  bough,  however,  rustled 
a  little  against  the  bushes,  as  he  passed  some  a 
little  higher  than  the  rest,  and  then  the  Kangaroo 
raised  its  head  and  looked  round.  Kinchela  stood 
perfectly  motionless  till  the  animal's  suspicions 
were  quieted,  and  thus  drew  near  his  prey.  He 
had  concealed  his  spear  also  behind  the  bough,  and 
now,  taking  good  aim,  plunged  it  into  the  poor 
beast  just  under  its  shoulder.  It  did  not  fall  im- 
mediately, but  took  an  enormous  leap  with  the 
spear  sticking  in  it,  which,  hovrever,  broke  as  the 
game  reached  the  ground.  Kinchela  ran  to  the 
spot ;  but  the  Kangaroo  kicked  so  violently  that 
he  could  not  come  very  close,  but  creeping  round, 
out  of  reach  of  the  feet,  the  long  toe  on  which 
had  an  enormous  nail  which  might  have  killed 
him,  he  made  a  sudden  dart  upon  the  tail  and  held 
it  with  all  his  strength ;  this  reduced  the  energy 
of  the  Kangaroo,  and  it  gradually  became  weak- 
ened by  loss  of  blood.  It  was  no  sooner  dead 
than  Captain  Spencer  came  up  to  the  Australian, 
and  praised  him  for  his  skill  and  courage,  at  the 
same  time  saying,  that  he  should  like  to  have  the 
Bkin  taken  off  and  added  to  his  stock  of  leather, 
for  Tiger's  and  his  own  socks  were  almost  ex- 
hausted. 

Kinchela  was  quite  excited ;  but  taking  up  & 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  195 

eharp  piece  of  stone,  ■vvliicli  he  used  much  more 
dexterously  than  he  would  have  handled  a  knife, 
made  an  incision,  by  means  of  which  he  proceeded 
to  strip  the  skin  from  the  body,  occasionally  push- 
ing it  with  his  feet,  and  often  stuffing  a  piece  of 
flesh  into  his  mouth,  warm  and  quivering  as  it 
was.  An  oven  was  constructed  and  heated  by 
Captain  Spencer,  and  as  this  was  going  on,  and 
the  entrails  were  removed,  they  were  put  into  it; 
but  the  rapacity  with  which  the  native  snatched 
at  them,  and  seemed  |,.o  grudge  Gipsy  her  share, 
80  completely  disgusted  his  master,  that  he  began 
to  repent  the  companionship  which  had  at  first 
given  him  pleasure.  He  told  the  native  that  as 
they  had  plenty  of  other  provisions,  he  would  have 
the  flesh  of  the  Kangaroo  dried ;  but  Kinchela 
did  not  comprehend  this,  and  was  evidently  disap- 
pointed at  not  eating  it  directly ;  his  master  was 
therefore  obliged  to  set  to  work  himself,  but  the 
Australian  quickly  comprehended  the  process  :  the 
meat  was  cut  into  strips,  and  hung  round  the  oven 
on  wooden  skewers,  and  when  it  was  sufficiently 
cooked,  it  was  exposed  to  the  sun  for  a  day,  and 
then  stowed  away  in  a  bag.  The  bones  were 
Btewed  with  some  of  the  root-flour,  and  then  Kin- 
chela  was  satisfied  with  the  supply  for  the  present. 
He  with  the  stone  cut  off"  all  the  coarser  parts  of 
the  skin,  stretched  it  on  the  ground,  beat  it  for  a 


196  AUSTRALIAN?     WANDERERS. 

long  time,  and  renewed  the  process  morning  and 
evening  till  it  was  quite  soft  as  well  as  dry. 

As  Kincliela  slept  after  his  ample  meal  and 
great  exertions,  Captain  Spencer  tried  to  reason 
himself  out  of  the  disgust  which  he  felt,  by  consi- 
dering that  this  poor  wild  man  was,  in  his  uncivil- 
ised condition,  scarcely  to  be  called  a  reasonable 
being  ;  that  his  gratitude  to  himself  showed  h«, 
possessed  some  of  the  best  feelings  of  human  na- 
ture, and  he  could  only  expect  his  savage  propen- 
sities to  be  overcome  by  j^lucation,  and  contact 
with  those  of  his  own  species  who  were  superior 
to  himself.  "We  are  all  too  apt,"  said  he,  "to 
judge  of  untutored  men  according  to  our  wishes, 
and  by  books,  which  generally  conceal  that  which 
would  disgust.  Even  my  good  Indians  would 
shock  polite  Europeans,  if  placed  in  their  drawing- 
rooms  without  preparation ;  but  they  are  refined 
beings  when  compared  with  Kinchela.  Their  reli- 
gion too,  though  repugnant  to  us,  has  its  softening 
influence ;  but  neither  in  Kinchela,  nor  in  any 
part  of  the  country  where  I  have  been,  has  any 
trace  of  religion  met  my  eyes,  unless  the  caves 
were  temples  ;  and  even  these  are  relics  of  times 
and  people  passed  away : — witchcraft  alone  sup- 
plies its  place.  But  I  must  do  my  best  with  Kin- 
chela, and  when  I  feel  annoyed  at  his  gross  habits, 
must  steadily  look  to  the  future,  and  forbear." 
The  progress  of  the  travelling  partj  was  slower 


AUbTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  197 

than  it  had  been  when  Captain  Spencer  had  no 
human  companion,  for  Kinchela  ?ecured  so  many 
kinds  of  food,  before  unknown  to  the  Englishman, 
that  they  seldom  started  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  besides  which,  the  former  appeared  to  be 
wholly  unable  to  make  forced  marches.  A  great 
article  of  their  consumption  was  a  variety  of  gums, 
gathered  from  difierent  trees,  especially  that  of  a 
bright  amber  colour  proceeding  from  the  Acacias, 
which  was  very  sweet  and  good,  and  which  Tiger 
also  delighted  to  pull  off  the  stems.  There  were 
also  some  not  edible,  and  which  Kinchela  told  his 
master  were  used  for  fastening  spear-heads,  &c., 
such  as  an  elastic  substance  something  like  Indian- 
rubber,  and  others  of  a  more  resinous  nature ; 
also  what  very  much  resembled  Gum  Tragacanth, 
from  a  tree  of  the  Capparis  kind.  Besides  these 
^ums  was  a  substance  which  both  Gipsy  and  Tiger 
licked  up  with  great  avidity,  as  well  as  Kinchela, 
who  complained  of  their  taking  possession  of  it, 
but  who  in  reality  dared  not  drive  the  horse  away 
when  he  saw  him  devouring  it.  It  was  a  white, 
mucilaginous  substance,  like  flakes  of  snow,  lying 
upon  the  trunks,  and  on  the  ground  under  the 
Gum-trees,  and  which  appeared  to  come  from  un- 
der their  outer  bark.  Captain  Spencer  could  only 
compare  it  to  Manna,  and  Kinchela  told  him  that 
an  insect  made  holes  in  the  bark  and  let  it  out,  so 
that  it  fell  to  the  ground ;  he  was  quite  greedy 
17* 


198  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

after  it ;  but  it  was  of  too  sickly  a  taste  for  his 
master,  who  much  more  enjoyed  the  sweet  drink 
made  for  him  by  the  native  from  the  red  or  yellow 
flowering  cones  of  the  Banksias.  They  were  so 
full  of  honey,  that  they  had  only  to  be  shaken  in 
water  to  impart  to  it  their  sweet  syrup ;  and  other 
flowers  also  produced  the  same,  although  not  in 
equal  abundance.  One  of  these  was  an  Asclepias, 
with  flowers  like  those  of  the  Hoya,  whose  pods 
were  full  of  a  substance  like  white  floss  silk. 

One  day,  as  the  party  w^ere  eating  their  morning 
meal  previous  to  their  march.  Captain  Spencer  was 
surprised  to  see  Kinchela  suddenly  starting  up, 
saying  in  Malay,  "  Ah,  you  fellow  !  you  show  me 
where  you  live,"  and  he  instantly  covered  a  Con- 
volvulus flower  with  his  hand,  the  trailing  stems  of 
which  crept  along  the  scrub.  He  then  pulled 
some  of  the  down  from  the  Asclepias  pod  which 
stood  near  the  spot,  and  wetting  a  piece  of  gum 
in  his  mouth,  he  with  it  fastened  the  white  sub- 
stance upon  a  Bee  which  he  had  secured.  As  soon 
as  the  insect  was  released  from  captivity,  it  flew 
away ;  and  Kinchela  keeping  his  eye  upon  it,  fol- 
lowed its  course,  getting  several  tumbles  on  his 
way  from  his  headlong  haste,  and  attended  by  Gip, 
who  ran  and  barked  at  she  knew  not  what,  but 
thought  if  there  were  a  hunt,  it  was  her  duty  to 
take  a  part.  At  last  the  bee  went  into  a  hole  in 
the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  Kinchela  called  to  his 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.         193 

master  for  the  hatchet,  with  which  he  chopped 
away  the  wood  till  he  exposed  the  whole  nest. 
The  queen  issued  from  it,  and  consequently  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  hive  deserted  it,  so  that  the 
contents  became  an  easy  spoil  to  the  wayfarers. 
They  poured  the  rich,  well-flavoured  honey  into 
some  pieces  of  bark,  and  managed  to  secure  it 
from  running  out  by  binding  these  round  with 
grass,  so  that  it  afforded  a  treat  for  some  days. 
Gip  had  suddenly  disappeared ;  but  a  whine  of 
distress  was  heard  by  her  master  and  Kinchela, 
who  sought  her  in  the  direction  whence  the  sound 
proceeded.  It  proved  to  be  the  neighbourhood  of 
a  dried-up  spring,  and  the  poor  thing  had  fallen 
into  a  deep  hole,  which,  being  covered  with  bushes 
and  sticks,  had  been  unpcrccived  by  her.  It  was 
so  deep  that  she  was  with  difficulty  extracted  from 
it  by  means  of  a  string,  which  she  held  with  her 
teeth,  and  so  was  pulled  up.  Kinchela  told  his 
master  that  the  pit  had  been  dug  by  some  natives 
to  catch  the  Kangaroos  when  they  came  to  drink 
at  the  spring,  and  was  one  of  the  many  modes  by 
which  they  entrapped  these  animals.  Something 
was  daily  learned  from  Kinchela  with  regard  to 
the  important  article_  of  food  ;  and  he  in  his  turn 
received  daily  information  from  the  Englishman  in 
the  English  language,  of  which  he  soon  learned 
not  only  words,  but  sentences,  to  which  he  gave 
their  proper  application.    It  was,  however,  curioui 


200  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

to  observe  how  he  retained  certain  words  in  his 
memory  and  not  others,  and  corrupted  the  phrases. 
The  latter  probably  arose  from  the  nature  of  his 
own  language,  for  of  course  it  was  perfectly  origi- 
nal ;  and  from  the  same  source  he  always  called 
Captain  Spencer,  Boccolo,  which  in  his  own  tongue 
meant  chief.  There  was  an  endeavour  to  make 
him  substitute  the  Sahib  of  the  Indians  for  it ;  but 
he  frequently  combined  the  two,  and  often  ad 
dressed  his  master  as  "Boccolo  Sahib." 

The  season  of  heat  advanced  in  a  manner  which 
surprised  Captain  Spencer,  considering  the  latitude 
in  which  he  supposed  they  were ;  but  in  the  midst 
of  the  dryness,  some  heavy  clouds  gathered  over 
head,  and  there  seemed  to  be  every  prospect  of  a 
heavy  shower ;  it  was,  however,  slight,  but  the 
drops  which  did  fall  upon  his  face  and  hands  made 
him  start  in  consequence  of  their  icy  coldness. 
Kinchela  seized  upon  the  skin  of  the  Kangaroo, 
which  still  remained  unappropriated,  and  covering 
his  shoulders  with  it,  crouched  down  in  the  scrub, 
refusing  to  stir  till  the  rain  was  over.  "  Boccolo 
Sahib,"  said  he,  coming  after  his  master,  who  had 
slowly  proceeded,  "  we  stop  when  we  come  to  big 
tree,  make  cloak  for  Kinchela."  How  he  was  to 
make  a  cloak  out  of  a  gum-tree,  which  he  sup- 
posed was  meant  by  big  tree,  the  Boccolo  could 
not  imagine,  unless  it  were  frcm  the  bark  ;  he, 
'aowever,  yielded  to  his  wishes,  and  arriving  at  a 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.    201 

line  of  thoTii,  he  agreed  to  stop,  and  more  willingly 
as  close  by  the  trees  -was  one  of  those  depressions 
in  which  water  had  lodged  and  drained  from  the 
scrub,  and  although  it  was  not  good,  there  was 
enough  for  all. 

Instead  of  going  to  sleep  at  night  as  usual, 
Kinchela  remained  in  a  listening  posture,  and 
hearing  a  slight  rustling  among  the  leaves,  he 
pointed  to  them.  Captain  Spencer  then  saw  some 
small  animals  which  he  supposed  to  be  Flying 
Opossums,*  for  they  flew  from  the  higher  to  the 
lower  branches  ;  but  Kinchela  said  he  did  not  want 
them  ;  there  were  others  which  were  bigger.  It 
was  bright  moonlight,  and  sitting  perfectly  still, 
with  Gip  in  his  arras  to  keep  her  quiet,  the  Eng- 
lishman saw  several  of  a  larger  size  on  the  ground, 
eating  the  grass.  They  were  about  the  size  of  a 
good-sized  cat,  had  whiskers,  and  pretty  innocent 
faces,  not  unlike  mice  ;  their  eyes  were  very  bril- 
liant, and  their  ears  soft  and  pretty ;  their  legs 
were  comparatively  short,  and  their  claws  appar- 
ently sharp,  with  which  they  were  evidently  able 
to  grasp  small  objects  ;  their  tails  were  out  of  pro- 
portion long,  seeming  to  measure  from  eighteen  to 
twenty  inches,  and  had  no  hair  underneath ;  their 
bodies  w^ere  covered  all  over  with  a  thick  fur  of 
diiferent  colours,  dark  gray,  and  shades  of  brown 
with  a  golden  tinge,  and  lighter  underneath ;  they 

*  Phalanijista. 


202  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

twisted  their  tails  round  branches  of  the  neigh- 
bouring scrub,  and  called  and  answered  each  other 
with  a  sort  of  hoarse  chuckle.  "  To-morrow  I 
.  catch  you,"  said  Kin  chela,  and  quietly  settled  him- 
self to  sleep. 

Kinchela'set  to  work  the  next  morning,  borrow- 
ing his  master's  hatchet,  and  sharpening  a  stout 
stick ;  he  then  examined  the  trunks  of  the  trees, 
and  stopped  only  at  those  on  which  he  saw  the 
prints  of  claws.  He  blew  upon  these  marks,  to 
see  if  the  sand  still  stuck  upon  them  where  the 
feet  had  left  it,  in  which  case  the  opossums  must 
have  ascended  very  recently,  and  be  within  the 
tree,  but  if  it  blew  away,  he  went  on  to  another 
tree.  When  convinced  that  an  opossum  was  with- 
in the  trunk,  he  cut  rather  a  deep  notch,  into 
which  he  stuck  the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot,  flung 
his  left  arm  round  the  tree,  stuck  the  sharp  point 
of  his  stick  into  the  bark  above  him,  and  lifted 
himself  up  ;  he  then  cut  a  notch  for  his  left  foot, 
dragged  himself  up  to  that,  and  thus  arrived  at 
the  hole,  which  was  a  considerable  distance  from 
the  ground.  He  routed  the  opossum*  out  with  his 
stick ;  and  when  it  appeared  at  the  mouth  of  the 
hole,  he  caught  hold  of  it  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
could  not  bite  him  with  its  sharp  teeth ;  and  when 
it  Was  fairly  out  of  the  hole  he  seized  it  by  the  tail 
and  dashed  it  to  the  ground.     He  caught  a  great 

*  Didelpliis. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  203 

many,  but  not  all  with  the  same  ease ;  for  some 
ran  swiftly  up  the  tree  directly  he  began  to  climb 
it,  and  took  refuge  in  the  boughs  ;  but  he  went 
after  them,  and  shook  or  knocked  them  down  ; 
others  retreated  into  their  holes  so  far  that  the 
stick  would  not  reach  them,  in  which  case  he  de- 
scended the  tree,  and  mounted  again  with  some 
lighted  leaves  or  grass,  which  he  put  into  the  hole, 
and  the  smoke  soon  dislodged  the  opossum. 

More  than  forty  opossums  were  secured,  and 
they  were  just  sufficient  for  the  cloak.  Kinchela 
performed  his  office  with  great  dexterity ;  but  as 
he  removed  the  skins,  he  stuffed  so  many  pieces  of 
the  entrails  into  his  mouth,  that  Captain  Spencer 
thought  he  would  not  be  able  to  eat  anything  more 
that  day ;  but  it  made  no  difference  with  the  even- 
ing meal,  and  as  yet  his  master  perceived  he  had 
no  adequate  idea  of  the  capacity  of  an  Austra- 
lian's stomach. 

The  excellent  flesh  of  the  opossums  was  dried, 
and  the  making  of  the  cloak  employed  Kinchela 
for  several  days,  for  he  was  obliged  to  beat  them 
a  o-reat  deal  to  make  them  soft :  he  made  thread 
by  twisting  fibres  of  bark  together,  or  by  a  rude 
imitation  of  spinning  the  fur  of  the  opossum.  For 
a  needle  he  used  the  shin-bone  of  a  kangaroo 
ground  to  a  point  upon  a  stone,  with  which  he 
pierced  holes,  and  then  put  the  thread  through,  in 
order    to   join    tl  -•    skins   together.      The   doak 


204  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

reached  nearly  to  his  knees  when  it  was  finished, 
and  he  fastened  it  upon  his  right  shoulder  with  a 
wooden  skewer ;  he  also  made  a  belt  of  opossum 
skin,  into  which  he  stuck  pieces  of  sharp  stone,  a 
tomahawk  of  the  same  material,  which  had  been 
left  with  him  when  he  was  abandoned,  and  what- 
ever treasures  he  thought  fit  to  accumulate. 

The  individual  of  the  travelling-party  who  fared 
the  worst  was  Tiger ;  for  they  frequently  came 
upon  large  tracts  where  the  grass  and  scrub  had 
been  burnt,  and  no  rain  had  caused  the  former  to 
spring  up  again ;  but  the  good  horse  bore  his  pri- 
vations patiently  and  good-humouredly,  and  the 
meal  and  gum  which  were  given  to  him  were  very 
nourishing  substances.  Still  Captain  Spencer 
watched  him  with  anxiety,  dreading  to  see  him  get 
out  of  condition,  and  was  surprised  to  find  with 
how  small  a  quantity  of  water,  and  that  of  bad 
quality,  they  were  all  in  such  strong  health.  He 
asked  Kinchela  why  these  patches  were  burnt; 
and  he  replied,  for  two  reasons,  one  of  which  was 
that  it  did  the  grass  good,  and  made  it  grow  well 
after  rain  had  come  upon  it ;  and  the  other,  that 
when  they  set  the  scrub  on  fire  the  small  animals 
ran  out  of  it ;  and  he  would  show  him  how  it  was 
done  the  next  time  they  wanted  to  renew  their 
stock  of  food. 

No  sooner  was  the  dried  meat  getting  low  than 
Kinchela  reminded  his   master  that  the  burning 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  205 

time  was  now  arrived  ;  and  having  settled  Tiger  in 
a  distant  spot,  tliey  procured  some  large  thick 
boughs,  and  going  to  a  distance  from  the  station 
which  they  had  chosen  for  the  night,  they  selected 
a  piece  of  scrub,  and  stamped  and  trampled  a  cir- 
cle round  it,  into  a  still  closer  and  more  intricate 
mass.  They  then  set  fire  to  that  which  was  in  the 
middle,  and  all  three — for  Gipsy  played  her  part 
bravely — contrived  to  secure  Wallabies,*  Opos- 
sums,t  Mice,  Rats  and  Frogs,  Lizards  and  Snakes, 
which  rushed  out,  and  whose  escape  was  impeded 
by  the  broken  scrub.  Gipsy,  however,  who  was 
very  eager  in  the  sport,  invariably  shrank  from 
the  snakes,  and  was  not  quite  sure  that  she  ought 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  lizards.  When 
the  flames  touched  the  bruised  mass,  the  two  men 
vigorously  beat  and  extinguished  them  with  their 
boughs.  It  was  a  very  fatiguing  mode  of  hunting 
when  only  two  persons  were  engaged  in  it,  but  very 
exciting. 

The  broken  spear  had  never  been  mended ;  and 
now  reaching  some  Grass-trees,  which  had  not  long 
■  ceased  flowering,  they  saw  the  tall  shafts  of  hard 
smooth  wood  rise  from  the  middle  ;  Kinchela  soon 
secured  one  of  them,  and  before  he  slept  he  fas- 
tened the  head  of  the  old  one  on  to  it  with  fresh 
gum.  The  scarcity  of  water  increased  so  much, 
and  was  such  a  source  of  apprehension  to  Captain 

*  Halmaturus  agilia.  f  HypsiprjmnuB. 

18 


206  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Spencer,  that  he  proposed  to  the  native  to  return 
northwards  to  one  of  the  permanent  rivers,  think- 
ing, that  with  Kinchela's  directions,  he  might  reach 
it  more  speedily  than  if  alone,  and  remain  there 
till  the  season  of  drought  was  over.  The  man 
looked  very  serious,  and  shook  his  head,  and  on 
being  pressed  to  speak,  he  said,  "  No  !  no  !  Boc- 
colo  Sahib  ;  those  very  bad  fellows  ;  they  not  think 
you  boyl-ya,  and  then  they  eat  you  up."  The  Boc- 
colo  at  first  thought  Kinchela  was  trying  to  frighten 
him  ;  but  on  being  pressed  to  speak  seriously,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  found  that  there  were  really  some 
tribes  who  eat  human  flesh  occasionally,  and  that 
Kinchela  truly  apprehended  some  such  catastrophe. 
He  added  that  he  knew  them,  but  that  he  would 
take  him  to  "  the  big  water,  where  there  was  good 
country,  good  white  men,  and  plenty  to  eat  and 
drink;"  he  then  pointed,  as  hf  ^  m1  always  done, 
in  a  southerly  direction.  Ills  master,  who  had 
long  abandoned  all  hope  of  Swan  River,  now  fan- 
cied that  King  George's  Sound  must  be  the  point 
to  which  his  man  alluded,  and  cheerfully  acquiesced 
when  that  prospect  presented  itself  to  him,  for  he 
thought  that  even  there  he  might  meet  with  a  ves- 
sel which  would  take  him  to  a  port  whence  he 
might  embark  for  India. 

One  evening,  as  the  wanderers  sat  by  their  fire, 
Captain  Spencer  watched  the  southern  stars,  which 
80  plainly  tell   the   distance   of   Europeans  from 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDEIM.IIS.  207 

tneir  home,  and  Kincliela,  who  saw  the  diiection  in 
which  his  eyes  were  bent,  said,  "Boccolo,  you  look 
at  smoke  uj?  there  ?"  "  What  smoke  ?"  asked  the 
Boccolo  in  his  turn.  Kinchela  pointed  to  those 
white  specks  ir.  the  heavens  known  as  the  Magel- 
lanic cloudr,  -a:  i  then  gravely  assured  his  master 
that  a  black  fellow,  very  well  known,  had  made  a 
fire,  and  a  boyl-ya  had  taken  the  smoke  up  there, 
where  it  would  always  stay.  Kinchela  "  knew  it 
was  true."  Captain  Spencer  did  not  attempt  to 
contradict  him,  but  was  much  amused  at  this  novel 
explanation  of  the  phenomenon.  He  then  ques- 
tioned him,  both  in  Malay  and  English,  concerning 
the  existence  of  a  large  sea  in  the  interior  of  Aus- 
tralia. He  replied  that  he  knew  of  one  big  sea, 
and  going  round  that  a  man  would  die,  and  a  boy 
be  very  old  before  he  had  finished ;  but  whether 
this  meant  the  large  sea  with  which  some  say  the 
immense  and  unknown  district  of  the  interior  is 
occupied,  or  whether  he  alluded  to  the  ocean  itself, 
Captain  Spencer  could  by  no  means  discover. 

The  travellers  were  now  fast  approaching  a 
much  higher  line  of  hills  than  those  which  they 
had  left  far  ofi"  to  their  right,  and  which  showed 
signs  of  basaltic  formation,  with  here  and  there  a 
base  of  granite  ;  the  former  rising  two  and  three 
hundred  feet,  and  alternating  with  sandstone. 
Little  Talperos,  as  Kinchela  called  them,  the  size 
of  a  rabbit,  but  longer  in  shape,  as  well  as  Rock 


208  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Wallabies,  which  were  bolder,  stronger,  and  more 
active  than  those  of  the  bush,  resembling  hares  in 
appearance,  ran  about  the  rocky  soil,  which  he 
said  lived  for  months  without  water ;  and  near 
whose  haunts  were  many  vestiges  of  native  en- 
campments. "Kinchela,"  said  Captain  Spencer, 
"  do  you  see  that  black  fellow  stalking  about  alone 
there,  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  through  the  high 
bushes?"  "He  not  black  fellow,"  replied  Kin- 
chela,  laughing,  in  which  he  was  loudly  echoed  by 
Charlie ;  and  then  added,  "  Gip,  Kinchela,  and 
Boccolo  catch  him."  "  To  him,  Gip  !"  said  Cap- 
tain Spencer,  and  all  started  in  the  pursuit;  for 
he  now  saw  that  it  was  the  bird  he  had  so  long 
desired  to  come  in  contact  with,  the  Emu.  Gip 
made  directly  for  the  game  ;  and  her  master  and 
Kinchela  separated,  in  order  to  intercept  the  Emu 
in  every  direction  which  it  might  take.  Still,  with 
its  extraordinary  swiftness,  it  was  getting  ahead 
of  them,  when  calling  Tiger,  Captain  Spencer 
jumped  on  his  back,  and  galloping  round  the  bird, 
came  before  it,  having  directed  Tiger  by  words 
and  his  naine.  This  proceeding  rather  checked 
the  native's  ardour,  for  he  was  still  frightened 
when  his  master  mounted  the  horse  ;  but  the  poor 
bird  was  at  last  run  down,  and  lay  kicking  with  its 
strong  feet  upon  the  ground.  Gipsy  kept  barking 
at  a  short  distance  ;  but  Kinchela  dashed  up  be- 
hind, and  broke  its  wings,  for  fear  it  should  rise 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  20'J 

and  try  to  make  its  escape.  Captain  Spencer  then 
fired,  and  put  an  end  to  its  existence.  Kinchela 
would  have  dragged  it  to  the  place  where  they  had 
made  their  fire ;  but  to  his  infinite  satisfaction  his 
master  threw  it  across  Tiger's  shoulder,  and  trotted 
back  to  their  station.  All  this  time  Charlie  had 
been  a  most  attentive  spectator,  and  flew  about  as 
if  he  had  been  mad,  flapping  his  wings,  and  laugh- 
ing, and  crying  "Ho!  ho!"  like  the  natives; 
but  he  was  much  too  cautious  to  approach  so  large 
a  bird.  As  soon,  however,  as  it  was  dead,^  he 
perched  himself  behind  his  master,  on  Tiger's 
back,  saying,  "  Well  done,  boys !  Well  done, 
Boccolo  !  Well  done,  Ned  Spencer  !  Ha  !  ha  I" 
Water  issued  from  the  soil  where  they  bivou- 
acked, and  which  had  been  chosen  from  a  suspi- 
cion that  it  was  the  bed  of  a  former  torrent ;  the 
small  supply  was  pure  and  well-flavoured ;  and 
that  night  witnessed  the  baking  of  the  Emu. 
There  was  no  moon ;  and  Kinchela  set  fire  to  the 
tops  of  two  grass-trees  near  by,  which  burnt  with 
a  bright  flame  and  delicious  perfume,  from  the 
fragrance  of  the  resin  which  they  contained.  A 
spacious  oven  was  artistically  built ;  the  bird  was 
plucked  and  skinned;  the  legs,  neck,  and  head 
chopped  off;  the  entrails  taken  out,  folded  up 
separately  in  grass,  as  well  as  the  head  and  neck, 
and  placed  with  the  body  in  the  heated  circle , 
and  while  they  were  cooking,  a  fire  was  made  o;i 
18* 


210  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

the  ground,  tlie  feet  were  steamed,  and  were  an 
good  as  calf's  feet.  When  they  were  taken  from 
the  fire,  a  tray  of  bark  was  set  upon  stones  amidst- 
the  ashes,  and  the  skin  suspended  over  it.  Oil 
dripped  plentifully  into  it  from  the  skin,  which 
gave  great  satisfaction  to  Kinchela,  who  rubbed 
himself  all  over  with  it ;  and  wished  his  master  to 
do  so  likewise,  who  of  course  refused ;  he  also 
wished  to  rub  Gipsy,  but  was  prevented.  When 
Captain  Spencer  asked  him  why  he  did  this,  he 
answered  that  it  was  good  for  the  pains  in  his  legs 
and  arms ;  but  of  these  pains  he  never  yet  had 
complained ;  and  he  cast  a  wistful  look  at  Tiger, 
as  if  he  would  have  operated  on  him.  if  he  had 
dared.  Captain  Spencer  thought  it  would  be  an 
excellent  remedy  to  have  by  him,  if  he  could  pos- 
sibly carry  it ;  and  when  he  suggested  this  to  Kin- 
chela,  the  young  man  made  a  sort  of  bag  of  the 
skin,  and  wrapping  it  in  grass  and  bark,  it  travelled 
safely.  The  Emu's  feathers  were  not  lost ;  and 
forming  a  fillet  of  grass,  Kinchela  bound  it  round 
his  temples,  and  stuck  a  bunch  of  them  in  front 
of  his  head  ;  which,  as  he  was  tall  and  well-made, 
and  had  on  his  opossum  cloak,  produced  a  very 
picturesque  effect.  His  master  still  wore  his 
plumes,  now  formed  of  cockatoo  feathers,  and  re- 
newed them  as  often  as  they  were  dirty,  by  killing 
other  cockatoos,  and  mingling  the  black,  the  sul- 
phur colour,  and  scarlet  of  the  different  species. 


AUSTRALIA  iN     WANDERERS.  211 

It  was  now  necessary  to  cross  the  mountains ; 
and  having  examined  the  range  with  his  glass, 
Captain  Spencer  chose  the  lowest  and  most  acces- 
sible part,  in  order  to  save  Tiger  as  much  as  pos- 
sible from  fatigue.  As  they  ascended,  which  they 
did  very  slowly.  Tiger  was  tired ;  and  Gip  so 
earnestly  entreated  to  be  carried,  that  her  master 
lifted  her  up  on  to  his  knapsack,  very  much  to  the 
amusement  of  Kinchela,  who  looked  at  the  horse, 
and  said,  "  If  big  dog  wanted  to  be  carried,  Kin- 
chela  not  could  carry  him."  The  flies  here  were 
again  troublesome ;  and  Captain  Spencer  again 
had  recourse  to  the  handkerchiefs  for  himself  and 
Tiger  ;  and  also  put  on  the  ear-cases  of  the  latter. 
Upon  this  Kinchela  begged  to  be  accommodated 
in  the  same  manner,  to  his  master's  infinite  enter- 
tainment ;  and  he  fastened  a  red  and  white  hand- 
kerchief over  him ;  which  was  the  more  ludicrous, 
as,  being  too  hot  to  wear  his  cloak,  he  had  no 
other  clothing  than  the  head-dress  and  opossum 
belt ;  he  also  asked  for  coverings  for  his  ears  ;  and 
was  not  quite  satisfied  when  he  was  told  that  they 
were  only  intended  for  horses.  In  spite  of  this, 
he,  howfver,  returned  to  his  old  habit  of  throwing 
up  his  chin,  and  half  closing  his  eyes.  Another 
sort  of  fiy,  of  a  brown  colour,  was  also  encountered, 
and  which  was  extremely  troublesome.  Captain 
Spencer  thought  it  indicative  of  the  vicinity  of 
Kangaroos,  as  he  had  often  seen  it  on  those  ani- 


212  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

mals ;  nor  was  he  mistaken,  for  there  were  man^ 
on  the  other  side  of  the  heights. 

All  day  did  the  party  clamber,  only  resting  for 
a  short  time  ;  and  at  length,  still  far  from  the  sum- 
mit, they  stopped  upon  a  ledge,  at  the  back  of 
which  was  a  shallow  cave  ;  large  enough,  however, 
to  hold  them  all  comfortably  for  the  night.  Before 
they  settled  themselves,  they  routed  from  it  a  large 
Iguana,  with  a  bluish  tint  over  the  head  and  neck. 
It  was  singularly  ugly ;  as,  indeed,  almost  all  the 
Australian  lizards  are ;  but  Kinchela  said  it  was 
very  good  to  eat,  killed  and  roasted  it ;  and  the 
supper  which  it  afforded  was  like  the  most  delicate 
chicken.  On  the  morrow  they  again  started,  and 
before  mid-day  stood  upon  the  summit  of  the 
range  ;  which  seemed  to  stretch  to  the  north  and 
south,  as  far  as  the  eye,  or  even  the  glass,  could 
carry  the  sight.  On  this  occasion  Captain  Spen- 
cer tried  to  reconcile  Kinchela  to  the  use  of  the 
telescope,  which  he  had  hitherto  regarded  with 
superstitious  horror.  He  with  difficulty  persuaded 
him  to  look  through  it  at  some  Kangaroos  feeding 
in  the  plain  below ;  but  as  soon  as  he  brought 
them,  as  Kinchela  thought,  close  to  his  eye,  the 
man  all  but  dropped  the  telescope,  and  fell  flat 
upon  the  ground,  with  his  face  downwards,  to  avoid 
the  enchantment ;  nor  could  he  ever  be  persuaded 
to  touch  it  again.  His  master  tried  to  overcome 
liis  fears   by  pretending  lo  make  Gip,  Tiger,  and 


AUSTKALIAN     WANDERERS.  213 

even  Charlie  look  tlirough  it ;  but  lie  with  tears 
implored  that  he  might  not  be  exposed  to  such  a 
piece  of  sorcery. 

It  seemed  as  if  all  the  natural  riches  of  south- 
western Australia  were  concentrated  in  the  beauti- 
ful spot  before  tlu  in  ;  large  districts  of  wood  closed 
the  horizon  to  the  east,  formed  of  lofty  timber ; 
the  Acacia  scrub  had  many  open  patches  in  it ; 
and  over  its  surface  the  most  exquisite  plants  had 
frequently  spread  their  trailing  stalks,  while  their 
scarlet,  yellow,  crimson,  or  orange  blossoms  glowed 
vividly  in  the  sun ;  clumps  of  trees,  or  single 
giants,  stood  in  various  spots  ;  and  a  lake  of  opalic- 
looking  water,  with  a  bed  of  clay,  caused  such  fer- 
tility, that  even  at  the  present  time,  when  the 
herbage  was  in  general  brown  and  witliered,  there 
was  green  grass  in  its  vicinity.  It  w^as  evidently 
of  much  greater  extent  in  the  winter ;  but  the 
basin  was  probably  never  dry,  for  even  now  the 
soil  was  wet  and  muddy,  where  water  had  been. 
Captain  Spencer's  first  feelings  of  thankfulness 
were  expressed  in  fervent  ejaculations,  and  then 
followed  great  joy  for  Tiger's  sake.  "  Dear  old 
fellow !"  said  he,  afiFectionately  caressing  him ; 
"  there  is  plenty  of  water,  and  some  good  grass  for 
you,  and  we  will  stay  here  till  your  coat  shines 
again,  and  you  shall  drink  and  be  merry."  At 
these  words  Charlie  rose  from  the  horse's  back, 
saying,  "  Drink  and  be  merry  !  hurrah  !  dear  old 


214  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

fellow  !  Ned  Spencer !  Boccolo  Sahib  !  Good  bye ! 
ha  !  ha  !  ha  !" 

The  party  occupied  much  less  time  in  descend- 
ing than  they  had  done  in  climbing  the  heights ; 
they  passed  beautiful  trailing  plants ;  a  broad- 
leaved  Capparis,  bearing  a  pear-shaped  fruit  with 
prominent  lines ;  Convolvuli ;  Ipomeae,  with  yel- 
low blossoms,  and  also  with  large  pink  flowers, 
from  the  seeds  of  which  came  a  caustic  juice,  pro- 
ducing blisters  on  the  skin.  It  surprised  Captain 
Spencer  that  there  were  no  natives  in  this  beauti- 
ful place ;  but  Kinchela  said  they  lived  there 
sometimes,  for  he  saw  several  huts,  and  they  were 
probably  gone  to  the  big  water,  as  they  did  every 
year  at  this  time,  to  catch  fish.  As  they  proceeded 
to  a  verdant  spot,  near  to  which  Kinchela  said 
Kangaroo-grass  was  growing,  they  passed  some 
very  pretty  white  and  yellow  everlasting  flowers  ;* 
and  soon  came  upon  one  of  those  mounds  of  earth 
which  Captain  Spencer  had  before  seen,  and  taken 
for  a  native  grave.  To  his  great  surprise,  how- 
ever, Kinchela  gave  a  cry  of  pleasure,  and  imme- 
diately began  to  scrape  away  the  earth  from  the 
centre  with  his  hands.  It  was  five  feet  high,  and 
forty-five  in  circumference ;  and  when  Kinchela 
had  penetrated  a  little  way  into  the  heap,  perhaps 
about  two  feet,  he  with  triumph  showed  two  fragile 
and  delicately-coloured  pink  eggs,  which  had  )-ested 

*  Gnaphalium. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  215 

ftn  their  smallest  end,  and  were  of  a  large  size. 
They  and  two  others  were  roasted  for  supper,  and 
although  so  large,  had  not  the  least  coarseness  of 
flavour.  Close  to  this,  and  several  other  mounds, 
grew  some  dwarf  Gum-trees,  only  thirty  feet  high, 
which  Kinchela  said  made  capital  spears,  digging 
and  thr owing-sticks. 

As  they  ate  their  roasted  eggs.  Captain  Spencer 
questioned  Kinchela  about  the  manner  in  which 
these  curious  nests  were  formed  ;  and  he  told  him 
that  the  birds  scratch  the  soil  up  with  their  feet, 
and  with  it  a  great  deal  of  vegetable  matter,  which, 
when  it  gets  rotten,  makes  the  whole  heap  quite 
warm ;  but  that  the  birds,  just  before  the  female 
lays  the  eggs,  turn  out  the  inside  to  dry ;  she  then 
deposits  the  eggs,  at  the  rate  of  two  in  one  day, 
and  when  all  are  placed,  she  covers  them  up,  and 
leaves  them  to  be  hatched  with  the  heat  of  the 
sun.  It  was  always  known  when  eggs  were  inside, 
because  then  the  top  of  the  mounds  was  round 
and  smooth ;  and  if  there  were  none,  there  was  a 
deep  sinking  in  the  middle.  He  added,  that  other 
birds  in  other  parts  of  Australia  laid  their  eggs  in 
the  same  manner,  but  distributed  them  in  dijGferent 
parts  of  the  heap,  whereas  these  laid  them  in  a 
email  circle  round  the  centre.  Captain  Spencer 
found  the  shells  very  heavy,  weighing,  as  he 
thought,  eight  ounces,  and  asked  what  occasioned 
some  marks  Avhich  he  found   on  some  of  them. 


216         ATT3TRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

The  man  answered  that  the  white  Ants  penetiatetl 
into  the  mounds,  and  formed  their  galleries  all  round 
the  eggs,  so  that  the  young  birds  found  food  ready 
for  them  immediately  on  coming  out  of  the  shell. 
A  sort  of  skin  covered  the  latter,  which  was  of  a 
brown  colour.     When  Captain  Spencer  expressed 
a  wish  to   see   the  birds,  Kiuchela  said  theymust 
sit  quite  still  and  watch,  for  they  were  soon  fright- 
ened ;  and  the  next  day  the  native  and  his  master 
stationed  themselves  among  the  mounds,  concealing 
themselves  in  the  bushes.    Captain  Spencer  brought 
his  gun,  as  well  as  his  pistols,  to  fire  at  them,  if 
they  should  attempt  to  fly  away.     At  sunset  one 
of  the  birds  came  to  the  mound,  and  was  shot ;  it 
was   a  very  heavy,  compact  bird,  as  large   as   a 
Turkey  ;*    spotted  brown  and  white,  with   a  tuft 
upon  the  head,  the  bare  parts  of  wliich  were  of  a 
bright  blue ;  its  legs  Avere  short,  and  yet  it  ran 
very  fast.     Kinchela  said  it  roosted  on  trees,  and 
could  live  a  long  time  without  water.     When  the 
young  have  left  the  mound,  the  female,  he  added, 
walks  about  with  from  eight  to   ten  young  ones ; 
they  issue   two  at  a  time,  and  directly  she  hears 
their  cry  she  runs  to  take  care  of  them.     There 
is  only  one  pair  for  each  nest ;  both  together  accu- 
mulate the  heap  of  soil,  and  the  hen  lays  an  egg 
every  morning  just   before    sunrise.     When    the 
nest  is  robbed,  she  will  lay  again  in  the  same  nest, 

*  Leipoa  ocellata. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.         217 

but  only  twice  the  proper  number  of  eggs  in  one 
year  ;  the  young  birds  scratch  tlieir  way  without 
help,  and  are  then  fully  fledged,  and  all  have  a 
very  strong  gizzard. 

"  We  will  stay  here  some  time,  Kinchela,"  said 
Captain  Spencer,  "  and  rest  ourselves,  for  there  is 
plenty  to  see  and  to  do  here.''  "  Very  good,  Boc- 
colo!"  was  the  reply;  "then  Kinchela  make  you 
new  cloak,"  pointing  to  the  mackintosh,  the  1-ow^er 
edge  of  which  was  hanging  in  ritands  ;  and  he 
started  in  search  of  more  Opossums.  Numbers  of 
Banksias  studded  the  plain  with  their  honeyed 
blossoms,  and  bees  were  as  plentiful  as  flies,  but 
they  did  not  sting.  The  pretty  Finches  also 
abounded  in  the  same  shrubs,  made  their  nests, 
and  warbled  their  cheerful  notes.  Near  to  the 
more  barren  parts  of  the  mountains,  but  among 
the  trees,  a  curious  noise  was  heard  in  tlie  evening, 
which  lasted  far  into  the  night.  Kinchela  said  it 
was  not  a  Cadli,  or  wild  Dog,  but  a  big  dog  of  an- 
other kind,  which  ate  trees,  and  did  not  leave  one 
branch  till  all  the  leaves  were  gone,  and  then  it 
went  to  another.  He  and  his  master  captured 
one,  and  it  proved  to  be  what  the  latter  had  seen 
described  under  the  name  of  Koala,  or  Sloth,  and 
had  a  sharp  nose  and  coarse  fur.  Kinchela  thought 
it  would  be  good  eating ;  but  with  plenty  of  food 
of  other  kinds  about  him,  his  master  did  not  fancy 
its  appearance ;  he,  however,  made  use  of  its  skii^ 
19 


218         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

as  he  had  done  of  the  kangaroo's,  and  continued 
to  collect  sjkins  v/hile  in  this  place.  He  caught 
many  aniiuaL_^,  and  more  especially  the  rock  Kan- 
garoos, which  always  sit  with  their  tail  between 
their  legs.  He  was  more  anxious  to  secure  them 
at  this  period,  on  account  of  the  quantity  of  bark, 
which  was  yielded  by  numerous  Acacias,  for  tanning 
their  skins. 

Charlie  feasted  on  the  abundance  of  insects ; 
and  the  good  bird,  because  Captain  Spencer  had 
frequently  called  to  him  to  bring  various  speci- 
mens for  examination,  now  of  his  own  accord  con- 
stantly flew  to  him  with  some  of  his  prey  in  his 
beak.  Among  them  was  one  of  the  Dragon-fly 
species,*  the  lower  wings  of  which  were  very  ex- 
traordinary-looking, like  a  long  thread  with  two 
enlargements  at  the  end ;  then  he  brought  a  Thyn- 
nus,  looking  like  a  wasp ;  another  which  Kinchela 
called  a  Barde,t  and  a  Phoracanthus,  with  very 
long,  spinous,  and  remarkable  antennse,  which 
hovered  about  the  gum-trees.  To  his  annoyance 
the  Englishman  himself  caught  a  beetle, J  with  a  St. 
Andrew's  cross  on  its  wing-cases,  which,  when  he 
touched  it,  sent  forth  a  filthy  odour.  One  or  two 
others  had  the  same  property,  but  he  abstained 
from  again  touching  any  of  that  form,  except  with 
ft  twig.    A  fly,  with  a  sharp  head  and  golden  eyes,§ 

•  Neuroptera  Hattei.  f  Bardistus. 

i  Mictis  profanea.  ^  Clioerocoris  pagantu. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDEllEllS.  219 

made  fierce  attacks  upon  theui ;  and  a  smali  cater- 
pillar, with,  sharp  spines,  strong  enough  to  run 
into  the  finger,  attracted  the  traveller's  notice.  A 
Smaragdina  had  a  gorgeous  red  thorox  ;  and  yel- 
low and  brown  Locusts  seemed  to  be  particularH' 
acceptable  to  Charlie. 

Kinchela  one  morning  was  busy  preparing  some 
slender  twigs,  from  eight  to  ten  feet  long,  which 
he  bent  into  a  hook  at  one  end,  and  with  which  he 
proceeded  to  the  gum-trees.  There  his  master 
saw  him  insert  these  twigs  into  boles  in  the  ground, 
and  after  a  little  manoeuvring  drag  up  Avhat  he 
called  Laabkas,  which  proved  to  be  fine  fat  grubs ; 
and  as  Captain  Spencer  had  eaten  those  of  the 
grass-trees,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  partake  of  them, 
and  found  them  of  excellent  flavovir.  Kinchela 
said  they  were  the  first  part  of  some  curious  moths, 
■which  the  Boccolo  would  see  by  and  by. 

Gipsy  enjoyed  the  stay  by  the  lake  less  than 
any  of  the  party,  on  account  of  the  presence  of 
many  snakes  ;  for  she  had  never  forgotten  her  ad- 
venture in  the  other  plain,  and  also  of  the  number 
of  native  dogs,  which  would  have  snapped  her  up  in 
a  minute.  She  could  not  be  left  with  the  baggage 
on  account  of  the  latter,  and  dared  not  run  on  the 
ground  for  fear  of  the  former ;  Captain  Spencer, 
therefore,  always  put  her  on  his  knapsack  when 
he  went  on  his  excursions,  and  Gip  thus  accom- 
panied him  every  where  on  his  back.     The  dogs 


220  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

ho^vled  horribly  at  night ;  and  the  Englishman 
asked  Kinchehi,  who  was  always  timid  after  night- 
fall, if  he  did  not  think  they  were  boyl-yas  ;  the 
man  shook  his  head,  and  Avhispered  that  these  were 
not  boyl-yas,  for  they  were  in  the  trees,  where  he 
could  at  that  moment  hear  them,  alluding;  to  the 
creaking  of  the  boughs.  Kinchela  ran  down  some 
of  the  dogs,  finishing  their  fate  by  throwing  a 
stick  at  them,  lie  brought  the  first  to  the  bivouac 
to  cook,  and  had  it  all  to  himself,  for  his  master 
refused  any  share  in  the  feast ;  he  took  out  the 
entrails,  filled  the  inside  with  grass,  fastened  the 
aperture  together  with  wooden  skewers,  and  put  it 
into  the  oven.  Nothing  annoyed  him  more  than 
to  be  obliged  to  cook  any  animal  without  its  skin, 
the  hair  of  which  was  always  singed  off.  He  said 
that  when  black  felloAvs  caught  puppies,  they  took 
one  or  two  to  tame  and  live  with  them,  but  always 
ate  a  great  many.  The  dogs,  however,  had  two 
still  more  powerful  causes  of  destruction — the 
snakes  and  themselves  ;  for  they  ate  each  other  in 
times  when  other  food  was  scanty. 

The  Wombat*  was  an  inhabitant  of  this  plain, 
with  its  short  nose  and  thick  body ;  and  Kinchela 
drove  these  animals  to  their  holes  in  the  sides  of 
the  mountains,  closed  the  mouths  with  stones, 
lighted  a  fire,  and  suffocated  them  ;  causing  Cap- 
tain Spencer  to  think  what  a  fierce  warfare  man, 

*  f  iasoolomys. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  221 

who  does  not  till  the  ground,  carries  oi.  with  other 
animated  parts  of  creation.  The  nati  re  treated 
the  elegant  little  Jerboas  in  a  very  summary  man- 
ner ;  for  he  mei'ely  broke  away  the  under  jaw,  bit 
off  the  tail,  and  then  making  a  hole  in  the  sand, 
which  he  heated,  he  put  the  animal  into  it,  and 
when  it  was  cooked  he  ate  it  as  it  was,  fur,  skin, 
entrails,  and  bones.  Captain  Spencer  longed  to 
teach  Charlie  to  call  him  a  greedy  fellow,  but  was 
very  cautious  in  this  respect ;  for  as  Kinchela  now 
understood  a  great  deal  of  English,  he  was  afraid 
of  creating  some  enmity  between  them,  if  Charlie 
told  disagreeable  truths. 

Kinchela  called  one  of  the  snakes  Tookyte,* 
and  told  his  master  if  it  bit  him  he  would  lie  down 
for  three  days,  and  then  get  well,  and  it  was  very 
good  to  eat.  He  also  showed  him  a  Death  Adder, 
which  he  said  made  people  die  in  a  few  minutes, 
without  their  knowing  that  they  had  been  bitten. 

Some  of  the  Grass-trees  seen  by  the  travellers 
had  been  seventeen  feet  high  ;  but  in  this  spot  was 
another  kind,  even  larger  in  stature, f  and  which 
looked  like  a  palm  with  simple  leaves ;  it  had  the 
rough,  cylindrical  bark  of  the  Xanthorrhea,  but 
its  leaves  Avere  narrower.  A  large  Ilakea,  of  a 
different  species  to  that  which  formed  the  scrub, 
had -drooping  loaves  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  and 
was  twenty-five   feet  high.     A  Grevillea  was  de- 

*  Riija.  t  Kingia. 

19* 


222  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

veloped  into  a  small  tree,  witli  very  long,  riband- 
like  leaves  of  a  silvery  grey ;  and  one  of  the  same 
genus  had  beautiful  red  blossoms,  and  two  flat 
seeds,  surrounded  by  a  narrow,  transparent  mem- 
brane. A  large  Fig-tree,  sixty  feet  high,  with 
rich  foliage,  had  bunches  of  fruit  of  small  size  and 
excellent  flavour ;  but  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
eat  them,  because  they  were  so  full  of  flies  and 
ants,  the  two  great  pests  of  the  country.  The 
Inga  moniliformis,  with  its  articulated  pods,  yielded 
a  rich  perfume,  which  fragrance  was  somewhat  of 
a  rarity  among  the  flowers  of  Australia  ;  and  a 
noble  Eugenia,  with  large,  wliitc  blossoms,  wide, 
leathery,  shining  leaves,  green  bark,  and  a  hard 
trunk,  stood  forty  feet  high.  Its  scarlet  and  ribbed 
fruit  was  on  the  tree  at  the  same  time,  a  constant 
occurrence  in  such  climates,  and  was  six  inches  in 
circumference.  If  suffered  to  hang  till  it  dropped, 
it  was  good  to  eat ;  but  if  gathered,  was  pungent, 
though  always  aromatic.  The  wind  whistled 
through  the  articulated  branches  of  the  drooping 
Casuarinas  on  the  bordei's  of  the  lake,  like  the 
tones  of  an  Eolian  harp,  and  their  blossoms  looked 
like  crimson  fringe.  One  of  the  Hibiscus  tribe 
nfl"orded  some  string  to  Kinchela  ;  and  a  Protea- 
ceous  tree,  with  silvery  leaves,  liad  seeds  sur- 
rounded by  a  broad,  tiansparent  raembrane. 

Black  Swans,  witli  their  bright  led  beaks,  floated 
uDon  the  lake  ;  some  beautiful  Falcons  took  theij 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  223 

share  of  the  smaller  and  exquisite  birds  which  fre- 
quented this  lovely  place.  One  of  them*  had  gray 
plumage,  yellow  legs,  and  very  brilliant  eyes  ;  an- 
other was  sooty  black, f  of  exquisite  shape,  and 
rapid  flight ;  and  a  Kingfisher,|  seemed  to  live  on 
lizards,  beetles,  and  grasshoppers.  One  of  the 
Honey  eaters,  when  opened  for  cooking,  had  its 
crop  full  of  the  remains  of  beetles  ;  and  its  head 
was  covered  with  a  yellow  pollen,  proceeding  from 
a  flower  very  like  a  Mallow,  which  was  a  great  re- 
sort of  those  insects  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when 
the  petals  closed  over  them. 

The  Australian  told  Captain  Spencer  a  curious 
history  of  a  Buteo,§  which  he  caught ;  saying  tliat 
it  was  so  bold,  it  Vy-ould  drive  an  Emu  from  her 
nest  when  sitting,  and  would  take  a  stone  between 
its  feet,  drop  it  on  the  eggs,  and  then  eat  the  con- 
tents of  the  broken  shells.  It  had  great  powers 
of  vision  ;  and  Captain  Spencer  having  left  a  dead 
Wallabie  in  a  grass-tree  as  he  passed,  intending  to 
take  it  up  as  he  returned  from  a  distance,  found 
that  the  bird  had  devoured  every  part  except  the 
6kin,  and  saw  it  fly  away  as  l;e  approached.  One 
of  the  Shallow  family  was  killed,  which  the  tra- 
veller had  once  seen  in  England  ;||  some  Gymnor- 
rhise  fed  on  fruits  and  insects,  and  suno-  in  nume- 
rous choral  notes.     Tlie  Falcuncvdus  built  its  neat 

*  Fiilco  hypiileiH'u.s.  j   jt'.  subuiger. 

J  Halcj'on  sanctus.  |  Buteo  melanostomoik 

Ij  Acanthylis  caudacuta. 


224  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

on  the  branches  of  gum-trees,  which  were  at  least 
fifty  feet  high  ;  it  was  the  shape  of  a  cup,  was 
made  of  bark,  lined  witli  grass,  and  contained 
from  four  to  five  shining  white  eggs  speckled  with 
olive.  Here  also  did  the  Bower-birds  again  form 
their  play-grounds;  and  their  cup-shaped  nests 
were  made  of  sticks,  lined  with  grass  and  feathers. 
The  Calyptorhynchi  were  rivals  to  Kinchela  in 
cheir  fondness  for  grubs  ;  and  they  went  about  in 
small  flocks,  with  a  heavy  flight,  and  a  low,  crying 
note,  very  difi"erent  from  that  of  their  noisy  breth- 
ren of  the  parrot  tribe.  Some  ducks'  nests  were 
discovered  in  the  trees  ;  and  there  seemed  to  be 
no  end  to  the  natural  wealth  of  this  favoured 
region.  It  was,  however,  time  to  depart  from  it, 
and  move  to  the  south,  before  the  greater  drought 
sli -idd  distress  them  still  more  in  their  after-pro- 
gri's.s. 

On  the  last  evening  of  his  stay,  Captain  Spencer 
placed  himself  a  little  way  up  the  mountain-range, 
from  whence  the  ground  gradually  sloped  away  to 
the  fruitful  plain ;  the  thick  woods,  the  stillness 
of  which  Avas  only  interrupted  by  the  rustling  of 
the  Opossums,  as  they  ran  up  and  doAvn  the  trees ; 
the  moon  shining  brightly  on  the  lake,  the  waters 
of  which  reflected  a  soft  opalescent  light ;  the  clear 
and  well-defined  outline  of  the  immense  distance, 
in  that  dry  climate  ;  the  large  occasional  flocks  of 
wild-fowl  which  passed  over  his  head,  and  splashed 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDEREKS.  225 

into  the  lake,  making  tiny  and  glittering  waves 
around  them ;  the  foreground  darkened  by  the 
shadow  of  the  mountains,  lighted  up  in  one  spot 
by  two  brilliant  natural  torches,  which  had  been 
kindled  by  Kinchela,  who  was  seated  on  the 
ground  enjoying  the  most  peaceful  repose — formed 
a  scene  which  was  never  forgotten  by  the  v>anderer 
in  any  of  the  fair  or  busy  scenes  of  his  after-exist- 
ence. 

The  travellers  made  active  preparations  for 
starting:  Tiger  and  Gipsy  resumed  their  sober 
habits  ;  Charlie  confined  his  flights  to  their  imme- 
diate vicinity;  as  much  water  as  could  be  carried 
was  secured;  and  Kinchela  had  loaded  himself 
with  pieces  of  crystal  and  agate,  which  he  had 
found  on  the  mountains,  together  with  all  sorts  of 
fancied  treasures.  He  endeavoured  to  stuff  them 
all  into  the  opossum-belt  round  his  waist ;  but  one 
after  another  dropped  out  agaki,  till  he  bit  his 
beard  with  impatience.  "  Why  do  you  not  make 
a  bag  for  those  things?"  asked  his  master  ;  "  there 
is  plenty  of  skin,  and  you  had  better  do  so  to- 
night, then  you  can  carry  them  with  all  con- 
venience." Kinchela  gave  rather  an  indignant 
toss  of  the  head,  and  replied,  "Black  fellow  not 
carry  bag  with  stones  ;  Gin  carry  bag ;"  by  which 
Captain  Spencer  understood  that  his  dignity  was 
offended  by  the  suggestion ;  but  as  he  did  not 
choose  to  burden  Tiger  unnecessarily,  he  did  not 


226  AUSTRALIAN     W  A  N  D  E  B  E  K  S  . 

tell  him  to  add  these  valued  possessions  to  his  load: 
At  length,  taking  off  his  belt,  the  native  folded 
them  up  in  it,  and  seemed  to  think  little  of  the 
additional  weight.  They  passed  on  amidst  beau- 
tiful flowers,  among  which  various  Papilionaceae, 
the  Bossieua  virigata,  with  its  yellow  and  crimson 
blossoms ;  the  Kcnnedia  Maryatta,  like  a  large 
coral  tree  ;  the  Eriostemon,  with  pannicles  of  pink 
r.nd  white,  five-rayed  stars ;  and  the  splendid 
Choryzema,  were  the  most  conspicuous;  and  never 
did  beautiful  Australia  look  more  beautiful  than 
when  they  bade  farewell  to  the  lake  and  plain. 
Scrub,  fatiguing,  obstinate,  tearing,  pricking,  pro- 
voking scrub  succeeded,  and  the  bivouac  the  next 
night  took  place  in  a  very  different  scene  to  that 
of  the  preceding. 

On  the  completion  of  the  opossum-cloak,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  had  bestowed  his  old  mackintosh  on 
Kinchela,  who  then  folded  up  his  own,  and  in  imi- 
tation of  his  master  carried  it  on  his  back,  when 
throwing  the  mackintosh  outside  he  caused  him- 
self to  look  infinitely  ridiculous,  as  he  was  evidently 
oppressed  by  the  additional  covering.  Day  after 
day  passed,  during  which  time,  a  large,  misshapen, 
brownish  mass,  issuing  from  some  gum-trees,  had 
delighted  the  native ;  for  he  gathered  as  much  of 
it  as  he  could  stuff  into  the  bags  whence  food  had 
been  taken,  and  at  night  he  roasted  it  over  the 
fire.     It  was  a  fungus,  and  excellent  to  the  taste, 


AUSTRALIAN     'tfANDERERS.  227 

without  producing  any  ill  eflfects.  "  Plenty  black 
fellows  come  here,"  said  Kinchela;  "some  coming 
now;"  and  Captain  Spencer  turned  his  head  to 
look.  "  Are  they  good  fellows  ?' '  asked  he.  "  No, 
Boccolo,"  w'as  the  answer  ;  "  they  come  to  take 
away;  make  them  afraid,  seem  as  if  you  sleep." 
The  travellers  pretended  to  be  ignorant  of  tho 
approach  of  the  two  men,  who  were  evidently  a 
detachment  from  a  larger  party,  sent  to  discover 
the  proceedings  of  the  strangers.  When,  how- 
ever, they  were  close  by,  Captain  Spencer  let 
Gipsy  out  of  his  arms,  and  shouted  to  her  and 
Tiger,  "  Up,  boys,  after  them  !"  The  two  animals 
rushed  upon  them,  which  made  them  retreat  with 
the  most  grotesque  haste,  and  then  Captain  Spen- 
cer fired  over  their  heads.  Such  vigorous  pro- 
ceedings prevented  any  further  molestation ;  but 
Kinchela  said  he  knew  there  had  been  a  large 
party,  for  he  heard  the  sounds  of  their  feet ;  and 
he  laughed  and  chuckled  with  intense  delight  at 
the  alarm  which  had  been  produced.  In  this  his 
master  could  detect  the  feeling  of  superiority 
which  association  with  civilized  man  constantly 
produces  in  a  savage,  and  leads  him  to  triumph 
when  the  inferiority  of  the  latter  is  manifested. 

On  coming  to  a  rocky  district,  Gip  uttered  a 
cry,  which  her  master  well  knew  betokened  some 
danger;  and  rushing  back  to  him,  she  leaped  at 
once  into  his  arms,  which  were  always  ready  to 


228  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

receive  her ;  and  Kinchela  immediately  after  ex 
claimed,  '*■  Wakeh  !"  and  pointed  to  a  huge  Python, 
at  least  twelve  feet  long,  of  a  beautiful  greenish- 
brown,  with  yellowish-white  spots,  sluggishly  un- 
coilino;  itself,  and  making  for  a  tree  which  stood 

CD  ~  O 

near  by.  Before  it  could  reach  its  hiding-place, 
however,  Kinchela  sprang  forward,  seized  it  behind 
the  head,  and  in  one  moment  wrung  its  neck;  h3 
then  flung  it  across  his  shoulders,  much  to  the  hor 
ror  of  Gip,  who  did  not  look  up  or  leave  her  mas- 
ter till  the  Python  had  been  skinned,  cut  up  like 
an  eel,  and  roasted,  thereby  yielding  an  excellent 
supper.  A  certain  degree  of  dampness  seemed  to 
fall  upon  the  party  that  night,  which  betokened 
their  vicinity  to  the  sea,  and  which  chilled  Kin- 
chela (who  wrapped  himself  in  his  mackintosh  with 
the  air  of  a  general  oflScer  at  least).  The  next  day, 
before  the  sun  was  high,  they  stood  on  the  edge 
of  a  lofty  cliflf,  which  overlooked  the  great  Ant- 
axctic  Oeean. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


Oaptain  Spencer  makes  a  signal  to  a  vessel— Boat  oomes  ashore-— 
Captain  of  the  vessel  comes  in  the  boat — Offers  assistance — Cap< 
tain  Spencer  and  his  companions  go  on  board  the  French  whaling 
ship,  the  Marie — Life  on  board  the  M.irie — Native  feast  off  a 
stranded  whale — Natives  pay  a  visit  to  the  Marie — Kinehela 
spoiled — Charlie  l&.irns  French — Captain  Spencer  leaves  tha 
Marie — Scrub — Tiger  very  happy — Cranberry — -Kangaroo — Kin- 
chela  has  a  fit  of  gluttony — Cliffs — Return  to  the  sea-shore — 
Fishes — Musical  Teredo — Salsolas — Eryngiura —  Fruit  —  Plants, 
&c. — Reptiles— Birds — Crabs — Kinchela  ill-humoured. 


There  was  something  most  exhilarating  in  the 
prospect  of  the  broad  and  dancing  waves  spread 
out  before  the  travellers,  and  the  feeling  of  home 
which  they  ever  bring  to  the  minds  of  Englishmen 
who  have  wandered  over  their  surface,  §ven  in 
Bpite  of  the  sorrow  or  suffering  which  may  be  as- 
sociated with  the  recollection.  After  gazing  be- 
fore him  for  some  time,  Captain  Spencer  thought 
he  should  now  only  have  to  coast  along  the  shore 
till  he  reached  Adelaide,  which  he  knew  must  lie 
to  the  east  of  his  present  porntion.  It  wag  evident 
that  l>oth  Perth  and  King  George's  Sound  must 
20  (  229  ) 


230  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

have  been  missed  ;  and  as  he  looked  right  and  left 
of  him,  he  felt  convinced  that  hfe  was  in  the  Bight 
of  Australia.  That  look  presented  him  with  a 
sight  even  more  grateful  than  the  sparkling  ocean, 
for  white  brethren  were  near.  A  large  vessel  rode 
it  anchor  at  some  distance  from  the  shore,  but  as 
she  h-j  i  no  ensign  up,  he  could  not  tell  to  what  na- 
tion she  belonged.  He  took  a  spear  from  Kin- 
:ncla,  tied  a  handkerchief  on  the  top  of  it,  hoisted 
it  as  high  as  he  could,  and  immediately  after  fired 
nis  gun.  Anxiously  did  he  await  the  answer  to  his 
signal ;  the  fire  was  returned  from  the  ship,  and  in 
a  few  moments  a  boat  was  despatched  from  her  to 
the  shore.  As  she  came  near,  Captain  Spencer 
and  his  party  descended  the  cliff  by  a  winding 
I)ath,  to  await  her  approach  ;  he  forgetting  the  ex- 
traordinary appearance  which  he  must  make  with 
his  grass  hat,  cockatoo  plume,  bronzed  complexion, 
long  hair  and  beard,  and  patched  garments.  The 
boat  lay-to  when  within  speaking  distance,  and  one 
of  the  crew  hailed  the  travellers  in  broken  Eng- 
lish, an  air  of  surprise  pervading  the  whole  party. 
Captain  Spencer  advanced  to  the  brink  of  the 
waves,  saying  that  he  was  an  ofl!icer  in  the  East 
India  Company's  service,  who  had  been  wrecked 
on  the  northern  coast,  with  his  horse  and  dog,  and 
had  found  his  way  through  the  country  to  the 
place  where  he  then  was,  which  he  concluded  was 
'.he  southern  shore,  and  had  picked  up  the  native 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  231 

on  his  way.  The  boat  after  this  ran  upon  the 
beach,  and  a  fine  3'oung  man,  evidently  su})enor  in 
rank  to  the  others,  jumped  out  of  her,  and,  touch- 
ing his  cap,  said  he  was  Alexis  Royer,  commander 
of  the  Marie,  the  whaling  ship  now  lying  in  the 
offing ;  and  although  he  could  not  speak  English 
well,  he  had  understood  what  the  officer  had  said, 
and  begged  to  assure  him  that  all  the  assistance 
which  he  could  afford  was  perfectly  at  his  service. 
Captain  Spencer,  who  spoke  French  fluently,  gave 
him  a  rapid  outline  of  his  adventures ;  and  the 
Frenchman  entreated  of  him  to  come  on  board  the 
Avbaler  with  him,  assuring  him  she  was  his  own 
property,  and  Tvliat  she  contained  should  be  de- 
voted to  his  accommodation.  He  added,  that  they 
were  some  distance  from  King  Geoi'ge's  Sound ; 
for  he  entirely  avoided  entering  any  English  ports, 
because,  while  touching  at  Bahia  on  his  way,  there 
was  so  strong  a  rumour  of  war  being  declared  be- 
tween France  and  England,  that  he  feared,  if  not 
a  capture,  a  vexatious  detention.  This,  however, 
need  not  make  him  a  personal  enemy  to  Captain 
Spencer ;  and  he  begged  for  the  honour  of  a  visit 
from  him  in  the  only  residence  which  he  could 
offer  for  his  accommodation.  The  Englishman 
looked  at  Kinchela  and  Tiger;  and,  reading  his 
thoughts.  Captain  Royer  then  assured  him  there 
was  plenty  of  room  for  his  horse  and  servant,  and 
from  the  stores  of  the  vessel  he  would  be  able  to 


232  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

replenish  himself  in  all  the  necessaries  for  the  re- 
mainder of  his  journey.  The  offer  was  very 
tempting  ;  it  must  be  sincere,  for  compliments  do 
not  often  pass  on  such  occasions,  and  in  such 
places ;  and  the  wanderer  yielded  to  the  prospect 
of  enjoyment  which  it  afforded.  He  frankly  ac- 
cepted the  proposal,  and  told  Kinchela  they  were 
all  going  on  the  sea.  The  man  seemed  at  first  to 
shrink  from  it ;  but,  after  a  moment's  hesitation, 
he  said,  "  Boccolo  go,  Kinchela  go,"  Just  as  they 
were  about  to  step  into  the  boat.  Captain  Spencer 
said,  "I  have  yet  another  companion,  whom  I 
must  not  leave  behind ;  but  as  he  will  not  take 
much  room,  I  hope  you  will  allow  me  to  bring  him 
also."  "  Certainly,"  said  Captain  Royer,  won^der- 
ing  if  it  were  a  pet  kangaroo.  The  Englishman 
then  called  "  Charlie  !  Charlie!"  and  uttered  the 
peculiar  whistle  to  which  he  had  accustomed  the 
bird ;  and  in  a  minute  he  flew  rapidly  from  the 
cliff,  and  perched  on  his  master's  shoulder,  saying, 
"I'm  coming;  here's  Charlie  !"  "  I  should  have 
been  sorry,"  said  the  Frenchman,  smiling,  "to 
have  left  out  such  an  interesting  portion  of  your 
company;"  and  they  entered  the  boat,  Tiger  cre- 
ating; much  astonishment  by  the  dexterous  manner 
in  which  he  not  only  stepped  on  board,  but  con- 
tentedly resigned  himself  to  the  hoisting  up  by  the 
side  of  the  vessel.  As  to  Kinchela,  the  sea  wa& 
smooth,   and   he  was   delighted ;    much  more  so, 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  23S 

however,  when  he  was  invited  to  partake  of  a  good 
dinner. 

The  conversation  of  the  French  captain  and  his 
chief  officer,  the  accommodations  of  the  Marie,  the 
knowledge  of  time,  and  the  civilized  occupations 
of  those  about  him,  made  a  happy  break  in  the 
hard-faring,  rude  life  of  the  soldier ;  and  he  was 
surprised  to  find  how  short  a  period  had  been  con- 
sumed in  coming  from  the  scene  of  his  misfortune, 
for  it  seemed  to  him  an  age  since  he  had  begun  to 
traverse  the  continent ;  and  he  was  also  surprised 
at  having  made  so  much  more  easting  than  could 
have  entered  his  calculations.  He  now  found, 
that  in  about  another  month,  according  to  the  ideas 
of  one  accustomed  to  the  regularity  of  Indian 
seasons,  the  rain  would  come,  and  then  he-  might 
not  be  able  to  travel.  Captain  Royer,  in  his  un- 
certainty as  to  the  relative  position  of  their  two 
countries,  could  not  take  him  to  Adelaide,  had  he 
been  so  inclined,  and  therefore  he  determined  to 
start  again  after  a  week  of  indulgence  ;  besides 
\\liich,  he  felt  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  linger 
among  those  decencies  of  life,  which  a  well-ordered 
vessel  of  any  nation  presents,  and  that  the  longer 
\:o  staid  in  agi'ceable  society,  tlie  less  should  he  be 
inclined  to  launch  again  into  tlie  wilderness.  His 
kind  host  insisted  on  his  accepting  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  from  his  own  wardrobe  ;  and  being  tall  and 
felight,  they  fitted  well  enough  to  be  perfectly  com- 
20* 


iM-  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

lortable.  There  was  no  spare  flesh  on  Captain 
Spencer's  bones,  but  muscles  were  hardened  and 
developed,  so  that  he  well  filled  the  loose  garments 
of  the  sailor ;  the  delight  of  wearing  shirts  was 
inconceivable ;  the  luxury  of  soap,  for  which  he 
had  so  long  been  obliged  to  substitute  sand,  was 
indescribable  ;  and  well-trimmed  hair,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  beard  properly  taken  away,  instead  of 
being  cut  with  a  knife,  made  him  feel,  as  well  as 
look,  quite  another  man ;  the  more  particularly  as 
the  carefully-reserved  cap  was  taken  from  the 
knapsack,  and  worn  instead  of  the  grass  hat. 
When  Kinchela  saw  his  master  thus  equipped,  he 
seemed  lost  in  astonishment,  and  burst  into  loud 
exclamations.  Gip  jumped  with  delight ;  but 
Charlie  was  very  grave,  as  if  he  did  not  quite  un- 
derstand the  metamorphosis,  and  seemed  particu- 
larly glad  when  the  voice  reassured  him  that  it  was 
indeed  his  master.  Tiger  took  everything  most 
philosophically ;  he  munched  the  hay  which  was 
given  him  from  the  different  packages  on  board, 
drank  sparingly  of  water,  occasionally  gave  Gip  a 
shake,  and  received  the  visits  of  Charlie,  who  often 
sat  upon  his  back,  with  apparent  pleasure,  to  the 
infinite  amusement  of  the  sailors,  wlio  said  all  tlit 
beasts  were  charming,  even  the  Cnpifainc 

The  next  day  Captohi  Spencer  was  taken  to 
bind  to  see  the  garden  wliich  had  been  formed 
under  the  brow  of  one  of  the  cliffs,  by  the  side  of 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  235 

a  small  stream  of  fresh  water,  which  proceeded 
fr£»m  a  fissure  in  the  rock.  It  was  a  rich  piece  of 
sloping  ground,  as  if  the  good  soil  from  the  top 
of  the  cliif  had  been  washed  on  to  it,  and  it  was 
planted  with  a  variety  of  European  vegetables, 
which  were  calculated  not  only  to  give  enjoyment, 
but  to  contribute  to  health  during  the  many  weeks 
the  Marie  was  likely  to  continue  in  that  spot. 
When  they  heard  of  all  the  animals  which  were  to 
be  killed  inland,  many  evinced  a  desire  to  procure 
fresh  meat ;  but  Captain  Spencer  could  not  help 
observing  how  much  better  the  French  vessel  was 
found  in  what  are  called  preserved  meats,  than 
those  of  his  own  country,  by  which  means  the 
whole  crew  were  fed  with  fresh  rations  once  in 
every  week.  It  was  during  this  excursion  to  the 
shore,  that  Captain  Spencer  saw  the  remarkable 
appearance  ^  network  on  the  face  of  the  cliffs, 
which  has  been  reported  by  many  navigators,  and 
which  he  at  first  supposed  had  aris?n  from  the  in- 
terlacing of  fossilized  branches,  cr  roots  of  trees, 
but  which,  on  examination,  he  now  found  to  arise 
from  some  peculiar  cause  in  the  formation  of  the 
sand  and  lime  of  which  they  were  composed,  and 
connected  with  the  washing  of  rains.  Beautifully 
coloured  shells  lay  upon  the  shore,  which  he  ga- 
thered for  the  collection  of  Captain  Royer.   . 

It  was  proposed  to  the  Englishman  to  take  away 
with  him   a  few  of  the  Madagascar  sheep   froza 


236  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Captain  Royer's  stock,  which  would  make  a  cer> 
.  tain  store  of  provisions ;  but  he  refused,  thinking 
that  with  only  Kinchela  to  take  care  of  them,  they 
might  prove  an  incumbrance,  and  it  was  better  to 
depend  on  themselves  for  food.  Some  pieces  of 
beef  and  pork,  however,  were  hung  up  to  dry,  that 
they  might  have  some  sort  of  supply.  As  to  Kin- 
chela,  he  did  not  give  one  thought  to  the  future ; 
he  could  not  understand  a  word  which  was  said  to 
him  by  the  Frenchman,  but  the  abundance  of  the 
present  moment  was  a  source  of  -sufficient  happi- 
ness ;  and  the  men,  finding  him  to  be  insatiable, 
amused  themselves  by  cramming  him  until  he  was 
almost  unable  to  attend  in  the  cabin,  where  his 
master  requested  he  might  be  admitted  at  the 
hours  of  repast,  that  he  might  form  some  notion 
of  knives,  forks,  spoons,  and  other  et-ceteras.  '  No 
spirits  were  given,  by  the  especial  Irder  of  both 
captains. 

The  whalers  rose  before  dawn  every  morning, 
and  went  out  in  the  boats  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, in  order  to  look  for  whales,  which  one  of  the 
men,  who  had  been  experienced  in  the  northern 
fishei-ies,  said  were  of  a  different  species  to  those 
known  in  Europe ;  the  parties,  however,  were  not 
successful  during  the  visit  of  the  travellers,  for  the 
Eeason  was  but  little  advanced.  They  returned 
very  early  one  morning,  and  repoi-ted  that  a  large 
whale   had   been   cast  ashore,  probably  killed  by 


AUSTRALIAN     WAND  K  HERS.  237 

Bome  of  its  ocean  brethren,  and  that  a  numerous 
party  of  natives  had  gathered  round  it,  and  were 
busy  eating  and  devouring  every  morsel  through 
which  they  could  get  their  teeth ;  that  the  beacon- 
fires  which  had  been  lighted  above,  they  supposed 
were  signals,  for  they  had  seen  several  other  par- 
ties arrive,  and  they  must  have  been  at  work  all 
night.  It  was  on  the  other  side  of  a  promontory, 
which  hid  them  from  the  ship  ;  and  as  it  was  a 
curious  sight,  they  thought  Captain  Royer  and  the 
English  captain  would  like  to  witness  it,  and  had 
therefore  returned.  They  could  land  on  the  near 
side  of  the  bluff,  and  ascending  the  heights,  un- 
known to  the  Australians,  look  down  upon  them 
without  their  being  conscious  of  the  vicinity  of 
white  men. 

The  two  gentlemen  armed  themselves,  and 
started,  and  a  small  gun  was  put  into  the  boat, 
with  which  their  retreat  might  b3  covered  in  case 
of  a  hostile  attack.  Gip  was  reconciled  to  be  left 
behind,  by  ordering  her  to  lie  upon  and  guarJ 
some  of  her  master's  clothes;  while  Kincheh, 
tossing  his  head,  thought  himself  too  well  off  t: 
eat  whale. 

The  party  proceeded,  and  lying  flat  down  on  tht 
cliffs,  as  Captain  Spencer  had  done  on  a  former 
occasion,  they  beheld  a  very  large  body  of  natives 
assembled  Avitli  their  wives  and  children,  most  cf 
them  apparently  in  high  spirits  and  good  hum:i- 


238    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

Some  were  rubbing  themselves,  their  wives  and 
children,  all  over  with  the  blubber;  others  were 
employed  in  dividing  the  huge  morsels  of  flesh 
severed  from  the  bones  into  smaller  pieces,  and 
handing  these  to  the  women  to  broil  upon  the  large 
fires  which  they  had  kindled  around  them.,  and  who 
crammed  pieces  into  their  mouths,  and  those  of 
their  children,  which  they  pinched  off  from  the 
quantity  given  by  the  men.  The  whale  was  already 
becoming  putrid ;  but  they  seemed  regardless  of 
this,  and  set  aside  large  lumps  to  be  carried  away, 
when  they  went  inland.  They  had  made  their 
entrance  into  the  body,  whence  issued  graceful 
looking  young  girls  reeking  with  oil,  and  reeling 
from  over-eating.  A  few  were  lying  upon  the 
ground,  quite  overcome  by  their  excesses  ;  and  two 
or  three  others,  ill-tempered  from  indigestion,  struck 
their  wives  and  quarrelled  with  their  companions ; 
and  many  started  with  loads  to  be  carried  to  a  dis- 
tance, which  left  a  train  of  bad  odour  as  they 
passed  along.  "It  is  as  well  to  see  such  a  sight," 
said  Captain  Spencer,  "  as  exemplifying  the  man- 
ners of  the  people  ;  but  I  have  no  desire  to  behold 
it  a  second  time ;  if  you  have  seen  enough,  let  us 
go."  Captain  Royer  gladly  assented,  saying, 
•'  Think  what  it  must  be  to  come  near  those  people 
for  the  next  month."  They  returned,  and  the 
Englishman  tried  to  forget  his  disgust  in  the  peru- 
sal of  the  newspapers  brought  out  by  the  Marie, 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDEKERS,  239 

and  which  led  hhn  back  to  European  history.  Some 
of  the  natives  afterwards  paid  a  visit  to  the  ship 
on  their  rafts  ;  and  their  presence  induced  Captain 
Spencer  to  prolong  his  stay  for  a  few  days,  that 
they  might  leave  the  neighbourhood  before  he  ven- 
tured into  it ;  they  were  surprised  at  seeing  Kin- 
chela,  who  understood  what  they  said,  and  were 
very  curious  to  know  why  he  was  there,  and  where 
he  was  going ;  but  he  very  prudently  gave  them 
as  little  information  as  possible.  Large  quantities 
of  fat,  or  lard,  were  melted  for  these  people  by  way 
of  a  treat,  and  they  drank  some  with  avidity,  and 
rubbed  themselves  and  children  with  the  rest. 
When  they  were  going  away,  they  said  there  was 
no  water,  even  in  deep  holes,  except  occasionally 
on  the  coast ;  but  rain  would  come  before  long, 
and  fill  the  country  again.  They  paddled  ashore, 
and  in  a  very  few  days  no  traces  of  natives  were 
to  be  seen,  except  the  ashes  of  their  fires  and  the 
skeleton  of  the  whale. 

Two  woollen  shirts  were  given  to  Kinchela, 
Tiger's  saddle  was  newly  stufied  and  repaired,  and 
the  blacksmith  of  the  Marie  offered  to  make  him 
new  shoes ;  but  his  master  thought  it  better  he 
should  go  on  without  them,  as  extra  sets  would  be 
cumbersome  to  carry,  and  one  set  would  probably 
net  last  for  the  rest  of  the  journey.  The  shattered 
tarpauling  was  replaced  by  a  large,  new  piece  ;  the 
tin   cans  were  well    examined,   and   as   they  gave 


240         AUSTRALIAN      WANDERERS. 

Bigns  of  wearing  out,  were  exchanged  for  ne^ 
ones ;  and  everything  that  could  be  thought  of, 
as  afforded  by  the  vessel,  was  pressed  upon  the 
traveller.  Captain  Spencer  had  several  pieces  of 
gold,  (Indian  currency,)  and  these  he  offered  in 
payment  for  some  gaily  coloured  handkerchiefs, 
and  knives,  which  he  selected  as  presents  for  the 
natives ;  but  Captain  Royer  said  everything  in 
the  ship  was  his  own,  and  therefore  Captain  Spen- 
cer need  not  hesitate  in  making  use  of  them,  or 
anything  else.  A  pair  of  scissors  to  cut  the  beard 
and  whiskers,  completed  the  generous  French- 
man's thoughtful  attentions.  Kinchela's  ambition 
was  further  gratified  by  a  leathern  belt,  which  he 
put  outside  his  shirt,  and  in  which  he  stuck  the 
knife  which  had  been  given  to  him  ;  but  a  difficulty 
arose  as  to  how  he  was  to  convey  the  other  shirt, 
and  the  valuable  pieces  of  crystal ;  the  sailors 
wanted  to  throw  the  latter  away,  but  he  looked  in 
such  an  agony  when  they  took  them  up,  that  tliey 
asked  his  master  why  he  set  so  much  store  by  them. 
Captain  Spencer  repeated  their  question  to  Kin- 
chela,  on  which  he,  in  a  solemn  whisper,  and  with 
a  piteous  look,  requested  him  to  tell  them  that  they 
were  to  keep  off  the  boyl-yas.  The  shout  with 
which  they  received  tJie  explanation  seemed  to 
frighten,  more  than  create  vexation.  He  settled 
his  difficulties  by  wrapping  them  in  his  spare  shirt, 
ar  i  tying  them  round  his  body  next  his  skin.     Cap- 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     241 

tain  Royer  accepted  the  opossum-cloak  in  exchange 
for  one  of  his  own,  and  his  mate  received  that  of 
Kinchela  ;  the  address  of  Captain  Spencer's  agent 
in  India,  and  that  of  the  Frenchman  in,  his  own 
country,  were  carefully  noted,  that  intelligence  of 
their  mutual  adventures  might  l)e  given  to  each 
other,  and  the  parting  hour  arrived.  Captain  Royer 
offered  to  exchange  watches,  because  his  guest's 
had  ceased  to  be  of  service  ;  but  the  latter  declined 
this  accommodation,  saying  he  had  now  so  long 
been  without,  that  a  time-keeper  was  not  necessary. 
The  fire-arms  were  cleaned,  the  ammunition  put 
into  new  water-proof  bags,  and  Gip,  Tiger,  and 
Charlie,  received  many  farewell  caresses  from  their 
good  friends.  The  Englishman  shook  hands  with 
all  the  men,  in  which  he  was  gravely  imitated  by 
Kinchela ;  he  thanked  them  for  all  their  kindness, 
and  hoped  they  never  would  look  upon  him,  though 
an  Englishman,  as  an  enemy.  The  boat  was  ready, 
and  the  travelling  party  entered  it,  Captain  Royer 
accompanying  them.  On  the  shore  his  feelings 
overcame  him,  and  although  he  knew  it  to  be 
wholly  un-English,  he  with  tears  in  his  eyes  put 
his  arms  round  his  friend's  neck,  and  kissed  each 
cheek  without  the  power  to  say  farewell.  The 
land  travellers  ascended  the  cliff,  and  the  seamen 
fired  a  gun,  which  sent  a  booming  adieu  across  the 
waters. 


21 


242  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Rocky  land  caused  Captain  Spencer  to  leave  the 
i;Iose  vicinity  of  the  sea,  and  he  plunged  into  the 
tea  of  scrub  instead,  the  intricacies  of  which 
f'jemed  only  to  deepen  the  regret  he  felt  at  quit- 
liiig  his  generous  friend ;  he  noted  the  hour  and 
ihe  day  in  a  precious  little  almanac  given  to  him 
I 'J  the  Frenchman,  and  in  his  memory  treasured 
I  he  last  twelve  days  with  ineffaceable  gratitude. 
A  sandy  country  succeeded  the  scrub,  thickly 
•^  t  rewn  with  a  plant  which  Captain  Spencer  at  first, 
Tiom  its  appearance,  imagined  to  be  heath,  but  it 
<\as  an  Epacris,  not  quite  so  difficult  to  traverse  as 
the  Atriplex,  but  still  fatiguing  to  those  who  had 
been  so  long  at  rest.  Plenty  of  Grass-trees  grew 
amongst  it,  and  it  was  amusing  to  see  how  Kin- 
chela  now  disdained  them.  The  only  one  of  the 
party  in  whose  opinion  the  change  was  pleasant 
was  Tiger,  to  whom  the  absence  of  exercise  had 
been  anything  but  enjoyment.  No  wonder  then 
that  he  frolicked,  even  with  his  load  on  his  back  ; 
nnd  so  frisky  was  he,  that  when  unburdened  at 
night,  he  took  it  into  his  head  to  run  after  Kin- 
cheli',  which  completely  undid  the  little  progress  he 
had  made  towards  fiimiliarity  on  board  ship,  and 
the  min  again  feared  to  trust  himself  in  the  vicinity 
of  so  marvellous  a  creature.  Charlie  took,  the 
chan./  'e  as  a  matter  of  course ;  and  ha\dng  added 
French  to  his  accomplishments,  said,  as  he  flew 


AUSTRALIAN     WAND  15  REUS.  243 

away  to  get  his   supper,  "  Bon  voyage,  Monsieur 
de  Mallet."* 

The  next  day  the  party  came  to  a  chain  of  pools, 
at  which  they  slaked  their  thirst,  and  disturbed 
several  Wallabies  from  the  surrounding  grass ; 
they  picked  their  way  across  the  rocky  bed,  and 
then  arrived  at  a  region  of  Gum-trees,  Banksias, 
and  Kingias  ;  and  following  the  course  of  the  chan- 
nel with  the  eye,  they  saw  afar  off  some  sloping 
banks  of  moist  herbage,  towards  which  Tiger 
rushed  in  rather  an  outrageous  manner ;  but  after 
taking  a  few  mouthfuls  of  it,  he  trotted  back  to 
his  master,  and  thrusting  his  nose  into  his  neck, 
seemed  to  ask  forgiveness  for  his  frolic.  The  next 
remarkable  feature  of  the  country  was  a  salt-water 
river,  where  oysters  and  cockles  were  so  plentiful, 
that  they  stopped  there  to  collect  some.  Kinchela, 
however,  would  not  eat  the  former  ;  and  when 
asked  why,  he  said  it  was  "  Kobong,"  and  he  must 
not.  He  could  not  clearly  explain  this  ;  but  his 
master  understood  that  it  was  some  native  law. 
Kinchela  said  he  never  had  eaten  what  was  Ko- 
bong but  once,  and  that  was  the  first  Emu  which 
had  been  killed,  because  he  was  so  very  hungry ; 
none  but  old  men  and  old  gins  ought  to  eat  it,  and 
be  hoped  the  boyl-yas  would  not  eat  him  in  conse- 
quence ;  that  was  one  reason  why  he  M'as  so  care- 

*  Alluding  to  ii.  French  farce  iu  whioh  is  a  traveller  of  that  Dame^ 
and  which  supjilied  this  cant  phrase  to  the  sailors. 


244  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

ful  to  keep  his  crystals.  His  master  could  not 
help  smiling,  in  spite  of  the  melancholy  reflectioc 
that  a  whole  nation  of  human  beings  had  no  other 
religion,  as  far  as  he  could  understand,  and  in 
place  of  it  such  puerile  or  absurd  superstitions. 

After  passing  a  poor  and  unfertile  district  on 
the  other  side  of  the  salt  river,  the  travellers  found 
themselves  in  a  deep  ravine,  where  there  was  a 
fair  portion  of  grass,  but  high,  rocky  cliffs  were 
on  the  further  side,  formed  chiefly  of  mica  slate, 
about  which  hovered  many  beautiful  Pigeons,  mak- 
ing a  whirring  noise.  Here  they  came  to  the 
pretty  little  plant  called  Drosera,  and  the  large 
Fishing  Eagle  flew  over  their  heads,  wending  its 
way  to  the  sea.  Some  brackish  water  lay  in  this 
ravine,  and  a  huge  grayish  Horse-fly  abounded 
near  them,  with  an  immense  proboscis,  and  not 
only  worried  Tiger  exceedingly,  but  penetrated 
through  the  clothino;  of  the  two  men.  A  kind  of 
Cranberry*  crept  along  the  ground,  the  acid  ber- 
ries of  which  being  quite  ripe,  were  very  agreeable 
to  eat.  A  beautiful  Butterfly  constantly  flew  past 
them,  covered  with  red  and  yellow  spots.f  The 
brackish  water  became  a  lake  further  on  in  the  ra- 
vine, where  Captain  Spencer  shot  a  Swan  and  two 
Ducks ;  he  did  not  aim  at  the  Pelicans  ;  and  then 
they  came  upon  a  gum  scrub, |  where  there  were 

*  Astro louiu,  Bumifusum.  f  Aganippe. 

X  Eucalj'ptus  dumosa. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.        245 

SO  many  fallen  trees,  that  poor  Tiger  became 
breathless  in  scrambling  over  them  ;  for  it  was  im- 
possible to  leap  with  a  load  on  his  back.  Night 
fell  before  they  could  get  half  through  it;  and 
cutting  down  some  bushes  to  make  a  fire,  they 
found  a  soft,  short  herbage  underneath  ;  and,  tired 
as  he  was,  Captain  Spencer  cleared  a  space  suflB- 
cient  to  yield  a  plentiful  meal  for  Tiger.  He  was 
turned  into  it,  and  supped  while  the  others  partook 
of  the  game  which  had  been  killed.  Kinchela 
emulated  his  prowess  on  board  the  Marie,  and  was 
sitting  in  a  half  sleeping  state  over  the  embers 
of  the  fire,  when  by  the  bright  moonlight  he  saw  a 
large  kangaroo.*  The  animal  seemed  to  be  so  per- 
fectly unconscious  of  the  presence  of  strangers, 
that  they  easily  crept  softly  behind  a  tree  at  some 
little  distance,  and  waited  for  its  approach.  Gip 
was  held,  to  keep  her  from  it ;  and  as  all  were 
tired,  and  ammunition  was  plentiful,  Captain  Spen- 
cer said  he  would  shoot  it;  and  the  discharge  of 
one  barrel  brought  it  to  the  ground. 

Whether  it  arose  from  a  longing  for  his  native 
food,  or  whether  it  was  a  fit  of  genuine  gluttony, 
awakened  as  this  propensity  had  been  of  late,  it 
was  impossible  to  say ;  but  Kinchela  now  said  he 
<vas  very  hungry  and  tired,  and  must  eat  a  great 
deal.  His  master,  rather  provoked  by  his  greedi- 
ness, replied  that  he  might  eat  the  whole  kangaroo 

*  Maeropus  halmaturus. 
21* 


246        AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

if  he  pleased,  and  laid  himself  down.  The  Aus- 
tralian took  out  the  inside  of  the  kangaroo,  and 
cut  off  the  two  hind  legs ;  he  renewed  the  fire, 
cooked  them,  and  devoured  them ;  he  then  laid 
himself  down  again.  In  about  two  hours  his  mas- 
ter heard  him  fidgetting,  and  asked  what  was  the 
matter;  he  replied  that  he  was  hungry,  and  he 
then  ate  the  fore-legs  and  the  tail.  Captain  Spen- 
cer slept  till  morning ;  and  great  was  his  aston- 
ishment then  to  find  that  not  a  vestige  of  the  kan- 
garoo was  left,  except  the  bones ;  Kinchela  had 
eaten  the  whole,  including  the  skin,  from  which  he 
had  singed  the  hair.  When  he  was  told  to  get  up 
and  light  a  fire,  he  was  cross  ;  said  he  was  in  pain, 
that  he  walked  too  much,  and  had  a  burning 
throat ;  but  he  nevertheless  swallowed  a  piece  of 
swan.  Not  doubting  the  cause  of  his  illness,  and 
telling  him  to  lie  dow^n  again  and  go  to  sleep,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  quietly  resigned  himself  to  the  delay 
this  occasioned ;  for  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to 
go  on  till  Kinchela  had  recovered  the  effects  of 
his  excess.  He  rather  blamed  himself  for  giving 
him  leave  to  eat  a  whole  kangaroo ;  and  made  a 
vow  that  he  would  never  again  offer  him  any  such 
license.  He  cleared  another  space  for  Tiger,  and 
wandered  about,  when  his  attention  was  attracted 
by  the  beautiful  red  blossom  of  the  Clianthus  for- 
mosa ;  by  a  creeping  plant  like  a  large,  bright 
scarlet   Vetch,  with  a  pui-ple  centre;  and  Tiger 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  247 

found  a  blue,  succulent  Geranium  in  an  old  water- 
course, which  he  ate  with  avidity.  A  stunted  tree, 
with  a  small  fruit,  looking  like  a  russet  apple, 
hanging  in  bunches  at  the  end  of  the  lesser 
branches,  afforded,  within  the  rough  rind,  a  largo 
stone  surrounded  by  a  pulpy  substance ;  and  a 
white  fluid  issued  from  the  branches  when  they 
were  broken.  A  flight  of  birds  like  Land-rails 
flew  over  his  head,  and  were  succeeded  by  hun- 
dreds of  Hawks,  which  sent  Charlie  back,  calling 
out,  "  Great  rogues,  Ned  Spencer  l"  Pretty  Ever- 
lastings* grew  in  the  driest  places ;  while  the 
fragrant  Jasmine  hung  its  festoons  over  the  bushes. 

At  length  Kinchela  recovered ;  and  his  master 
tried  to  make  him  sensible  of  his  fault  by  pointing 
out  the  consequences ;  but  all  he  could  get  from 
him  was,  that  he  had  been  very  happy ;  and  they 
again  started,  in  order  to  mount  the  cliffs.  On 
crossing  to  them,  they  met  with  a  softish  white 
substance,  which  Captain  Spencer  had  often  seen 
before,  and  which  Kinchela  now  told  him  was  white 
paint.  On  examining  it  he  ascertained  that  it  was 
pipe-clay,  which  seemed  to  abound  in  every  part 
of  the  country. 

On  the  level  ground,  at  the  top  of  the  cliffs,  the 
soil  was  very  sterile ;  and  the  party  again  turned 
to  the  sea,  in  the  hope  of  finding  water,  which 
trickled  from  the  cliffs ;  and  after  passing  along 

*  Giiapbalium  spiculatum- 


248         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

their  high  and  precipitate  edges,  they  found  a  path 
used  by  the  natives,  at  the  end  of  which  was  a 
well  dug  by  them  in  the  sand,  with  more  than  usual 
skill ;  instead  of  being  a  mere  hole,  it  was  quite 
round,  two  feet  in  diameter,  dug  straight  down, 
and  from  fourteen  to  fifteen  feet  deep ;  it  had  a 
good  supply  of  water,  and  was  fed  by  dripping8 
from  the  rock;  when  they  took  the  stones  from 
the  mouth,  however,  the  Englishman  recoiled  from 
it  with  disgust,  for  a  large  brown  Snake  was  living 
in  it.  Kinchela,  nevertheless,  tossed  it  out,  killed 
it,  and  then  drank  with  eagerness  ;  but  his  master 
caught  the  rock-drippings  for  his  own  refreshment. 
On  the  shore  they  found  plenty  of  Periwinkles,* 
which  not  being  Kobong,  were  eaten  by  Kinchela, 
who,  with  his  spear,  very  cleverly  managed  to 
catch  several  of  the  fishes  which  frequent  those 
seas ;  Captain  Spencer  helped  with  his  hook  and 
line ;  and  they  remained  there  a  day  or  two  to 
take  advantage  of  the  supply.  The  Barracoota, 
and  a  Platycephalus,  were  speared  by  Kinchela  ; 
and  his  master  caught  a  fish  which  resembled  a 
Whiting  in  appearance. f  A  spotted  Sole|  was 
secured  by  the  native  with  his  toes,  as  he  walked  in 
a  small,  shallow  bay,  as  well  as  the  sluggish  Jew- 
fish  ;§  but  he  abhorred  the  Ostracion,  the  Sting- 
ray,!) and  a  sort  of  green  Skate. ^     Besides  these, 


*  Turbo. 

1  Sillago  punctata. 

J  Platessa. 

§  Cheilodactylus  corponemu?. 

II  Urolophus. 

%  Platyrhina. 

AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        249 

was  a  very  clear,  delicate  fish  with  transparent  fins,* 
which  was  good  eating.  There  were  two  species  of 
Shark  which  the  Englishman  had  not  before  seen ; 
and  Mackerel  was  so  plentiful,  that  a  store  was 
dried  and  carried  away.  Gip  lived  on  fish  as  well 
as  her  master ;  but  after  this  rest,  during  which 
Tiger  ate  meal,  the  cans  were  'filled,  and  they  de- 
parted along  shore,  till  a  bold  headland  forced 
them  to  go  up  again.  Just  as  they  were  about  to 
turn  ofi",  they  were  suddenly  arrested  by  a  sound 
of  soft,  low  music.  They  listened  ;  looked  for  the 
person  who  produced  it ;  no  one  was  to  be  seen. 
It  seemed  to  come  from  a  large  log  of  wood  lying 
on  the  shore  ;  and  Captain  Spencer,  on  examining 
it,  found  it  full  of  the  boring  worm  called  Teredo ; 
and  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  from  it  came  the 
vibration  which  produced  the  tones.  They  were 
so  pleasing,  that  the  Englishman  was  unwilling  to 
leave  them. 

The  clifis  had  presented  sand  and  limestone, 
with  indications  of  iron  in  the  former,  and  granite 
in  the  latter  ;  in  the  first  were  some  fossil  shells, 
of  which  Captain  Spencer  vainly  endeavoured  to 
ascertain  the  genus.  As  they  went  on,  they  met 
with  salt  pools ;  and  digging  near  them,  found 
brackish,  but  drinkable  water ;  and  salsolaceous 
plantsf  began  to  appear.  The  pretty,  pink-flow- 
ered Mesembryanthemum  existed  in  large  patches, 

*  Cristiceps.  f  Nitraria  Austialis. 


L50  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

and  as  the  tips  of  the  leaves  were  turning  red, 
Kinchela  said  the  fruit  was  ripe  ;  and  gathering  a 
quantity  of  it,  they  stopped  a  day  to  dry  it  in  the 
sun,  that  it  might  form  a  relish  for  future  meals. 
Tiger  delighted  in  it,  leaves  as  well  as  fruit. 

Fires  of  native  encampments  were  seen  at  a 
distance ;  but  Kinchela  said  he  did  not  know 
"  those  fellows,"  and  they  had  "  mock  ears  and 
wooden  foreheads  ;  and  it  was  better  not  to  go 
near  them."  Whole  acres  of  fragrant  Clematis 
and  bright  Grevillea  flung  themselves  across  the 
scrub ;  and  in  sandy  places  the  Eryngium  showed 
itself.  When  they  came  to  a  swampy  plain,  a  bul- 
bous root,  which  Kinchela  called  Balillah,  was 
abundant ;  and  so  good  to  eat,  that  they  took  some 
on  with  them.  A  beautiful  Fusanus,  twelve  feet 
high,  appeared  again ;  and  surrounding  the  fruit 
of  it  with  flour-and-water  paste,  in  the  manner  of 
a  turnover,  Captain  Spencer  made  so  good  an  imi- 
tation of  a  tart,  that  Kinchela  was  delighted.  A 
berry,  called  by  the  native  Eutopko,  grew  on  a 
low,  creeping,  tap-rooted  plant  among  the  salsola- 
ceous  plains ;  which  were,  no  doubt,  swamps  in 
wet  weather,  with  bushes  of  Polygonum.  Its 
leaves  were  soft,  like  velvet ;  and  the  berry  of  it 
was  so  small,  that  Kinchela  cut  a  tray  of  bark  from 
a  stunted  Gum-tree  at  a  little  distance,  and  lifting 
the  plant  over  it,  shook  the  fruit  off  the  stalks. 
This  being  done,  he  next  shook  the  tray,  that  the 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  251 

dirt  might  fly  off";  and  in  this  manner  collected  a 
Dupply  of  it  for  days.  Other  bcnies,  of  an  acid 
flavour,  were  met  Avith ;  but  some  which  looked 
beautiful  were  bitter  and  nauseous.  Large  and 
beautiful  Correas  appeared.  There  was  a  Cassia, 
with  pods  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  and  seeds  sur- 
rounded by  a  spongy  tissue  ;  but  Captain  Spen- 
cer knew  the  nature  of  Cassias  too  well  to  venture 
to  taste  the  seeds.  Kinchela,  however,  swallowed 
them  with  impunity.  Then  came  a  profusion  of 
Pitcher-plants ;  the  pitchers  of  which  contained  a 
quantity  of  discoloured  water,  and  drowned  ants 
and  other  insects,  which  Charlie  ate  with  pleasure, 
tearing  ofl"  the  lids  or  opercula  with  his  beak. 

There  were  plenty  of  reptiles ;  and  one  Snake 
had  swallowed  a  bird,  which  stuck  out  like  a  lump 
in  its  body ;  Kinchela  said  that  it  climbed  trees 
and  robbed  birds'  nests.  Some  black  Ants  bit 
them  severely ;  and  then  Captain  Spencer  advised 
Kinchela  to  save  the  skin  of  the  next  kangaroo 
which  they  killed,  to  make  socks  of ;  but  he  was  not 
in  the  least  abashed  at  the  recollection  of  his  glut- 
tony. Of  one  of  the  Snakes  the  Australian  had 
an  intense  horror ;  its  head  was  a  shining  black, 
the  back  was  of  a  rich,  deep  brown  and  orange, 
and  he  said  a  man  must  die  if  bitten  by  it ;  if 
Boccolo  killed  it,  he  could  not  eat  it,  but  if  ho 
killed  it  himself,  it  was  very  good  for  him ;  he  ac- 
cordingly demolished  it  by  smashing  its  skull  with 


252  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

a  stone,  and  his  master  was  surprised  that  he  ap- 
peared to  be  ignorant  of  the  Indian  method  of 
disabling  the  reptile  by  crushing  or  severing  the 
tail.  He  examined  the  fangs,  found  that  there  were 
two  on  each  side,  and  that  they  turned  inwards. 

Numbers  of  Wallabies  lived  among  the  Mesem- 
bryanthemums  ;  Bitterns*  and  Cranes  were  heard 
at  night ;  while  the  Mosquitoes  kept  them  awake  ; 
Gulls  flew  round  them  ;  and  what  Kinchela  called 
a  Bidgerigung,f  passed  from  the  north  in  a  straight 
line,  was  of  a  bright  yellow  and  black,  and  had 
blue  spots  on  each  cheek  ;  with  it  was  .the  Parra- 
keet,J  which  always  keeps  its  crest  erect,  of  gray, 
white,  and  sulphur-coloured  plumage,  and  in  the 
centre  of  a  yellow  patch  on  each  cheek  was  a 
scarlet  spot. 

Wombats,  the  size  of  Badgers,  and  tasting  like 
young  pork,  with  the  usual  supply  of  animal  food, 
were  to  be  had  for  the  killing ;  and  they  marched 
on,  Kinchela  being  narrowly  watched  for  fear  he 
should  again  commit  any  excess.  The  opossum- 
skins  were  never  destroyed  by  cooking  the  animal 
in  them,  but  were  left  gradually  to  accumulate, 
till  enough  were  saved  to  replace  the  cloaks  left  od 
board  the  Marie. 

Whole  districts  of  Melaleuca  seemed  to  be  a 
favourite  resort  of  the  said  Opossums  ;  and  it  was 

*  Ardetta  flavicollis.  f  Melopsittacus  undulatus, 

^  Nymphicus. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  253 

amusing  to  see  how  eagerly  Gip  mounted  these 
trees  in  pursuit  of  them,  if  they  were  in  the  least 
out  of  the  pei'pendicular,  often  preceding  Kinchela ; 
and  how  knowingly  she  looked  at  him  when  she 
knew  he  alone  could  climb  the  upright  trunk. 

The  travellers  still  descended  occasionally  to 
the  shore,  where  they  caught  crabs,  which  fought 
vigorously  with  one  claw,  while  Avith  the  others 
they  endeavoured  to  get  away,  and  when  the 
ground  permitted  made  a  pirouette  and  disappeared. 
Gip  could  not  help  pursuing  them,  but  was  much 
afraid  of  her  nose ;  and  her  frequent  astonishment 
at  their  sudden  disappearance  was  quite  laughable. 
Charlie's  favourite  language  was  still  French, 
which  made  Kinchela  very  angry. 

Here  they  saw  Penguins  and  Seals,  the  latter 
of  which  Kinchela  wanted  to  kill  and  eat ;  but  his 
master  would  not  suffer  him  to  do  so.  They  one 
day  came  to  so  plentiful  a  supply  of  Rock  Cod, 
and  water  ran  so  freely  from  the  rocks,  that  they 
made  a  halt,  and,  as  usual,  Kinchela  ate  till  he 
could  not  move.  Captain  Spencer  knew  he  would 
have  done  so  with  the  seals,  and  the  quality  of  that 
food  would  have  made  him  perfectly  unbearable. 
When  he  had  recovered  a  little,  his  master,  while 
he  attended  to  drying  the  fish,  despatched  him  And 
Tiger  to  the  land  above ;  the  one  to  get  animal, 
and  the  other  vegetable  food.  Kinchela  went  un- 
willingly, however,  and  the  horse  returned  first, 
22 


254  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

trotting  ap  to  his  master,  and  neighing  with  fun 
in  a  verj  significant  manner.  Captain  Spencer 
did  not  quite  understand  this,  but  went  on  with 
his  occupation.  In  about  an  hour  after,  Kinchela 
came  back,  looking  very  much  out  of  humour ;  and 
when  he  saw  Tiger,  he  muttered  something  to  him- 
self, and  throwing  a  load  of  game  upon  the  ground, 
sank  down  by  it  in  a  fit  of  sulkiness.  Captain 
Spencer  thought  it  better  not  to  notice  him,  and 
turning  his  back,  went  on  with  his  occupation.  In 
about  half  an  hour  the  native  exclaimed,  "  Kin- 
. chela  bring  plenty  to  eat,  Boccolo  Sahib  not  look." 
This  was  quite  a  new  feature  in  the  man's  charac- 
ter, and  showed  how  he  had  been  spoiled  by  the 
sailors  ;  so,  turning  to  him,  his  master  endeavoured 
to  reason  with  him  ;  but  all  the  time  he  was  speak- 
ing, the  native  cast  furtive  glances  at  Tiger,  and 
he  saw  there  was  something  passing  in  the  man's 
mind  which  he  did  not  express.  At  last,  on  try- 
ing to  penetrate  the  mystery,  he  found  that  Kin- 
chela  had  tried  to  make  Tiger  carry  the  load  for 
him  ;  but  when  he  was  going  to  place  it  on  his 
back,  the  animal  started  and  ran  away,  and,  added 
the  man,  "  he  is  a  very  bad  dog."  "  This  is  some- 
thing gained,"  thought  Captain  Spencer;  "he  no 
longer  thinks  Tiger  a  sorcerer;"  and  then  he 
endeavoured  to  convince  Kinchela  that  the  horse 
did  not  know  he  was  to  obey  any  body  except  his 
master.     "  Gip  does  what  Kinchela  says,"  was  the 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  255 

reply ;  "  and  Gip  is  a  dog ;  Tiger  is  a  dog,  why 
not  know  as  well  as  Gip  ?"  "  He  is  getting  on," 
Baid  the  Englishman  to  himself;  "he  begins  to 
reason,  and  it  is  better  not  to  attempt  too  much  at 
once ;  I  shall  leave  him  to  indulge  in  the  belief 
that  Tiger  is  a  dog."  And  he  ended  the  dialogue 
by  ordering  him  to  cook  and  prepare  the  animals 
which  he  had  speared,  or  knocked  on  the  head. 

It  was  with  the  greatest  diflSculty  that  Captain 
Spencer  prevented  Kinchela  from  again  eating  too 
much,  and  as  it  was  he  fell  back  and  slept.  "  He 
wants  a  little  starvation,"  said  his  master  to  him- 
self; "he  behaved  better  in  times  of  sufferinp:; 
but  we  know  not  how  soon  he  may  have  to  learn  a 
fresh  lesson."  They  travelled  on  the  next  day, 
ascending  the  cliffs,  and  descending  to  the  shore, 
where  they  were  more. likely  to  meet  with  native 
wells.  Here  they  found  some  beautiful  shells, 
Patellae  and  Phasianelh-e,  and  the  cliffs  were  often 
composed  of  gray  granite.  The  changes  of  tem- 
perature were  frequent ;  and  in  one  hour  there 
would  be  a  difference  of  several  degrees.  One 
evening  they  were  assailed  by  a  heavy  sea-fog, 
which  caused  them  to  shiver  and  feel  very  uncom- 
fortable. Captain  Spencer  covered  them  all  and 
himself  with  the  cloaks  and  tarpauling,  and  Char- 
lie, like  all  pretenders,  misapplied  his  knowledge 
sadly  as  h"  •  '^pt  under  the  covering,  and  said, 
"  J'ai  chaud,  ^Tod  Spencer."     After  this  Kinchela 


256    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

seemed  to  be  incessantly  fatigued ;  the  horse  and 
dog  no  longer  made  excursions  of  their  own,  but 
followed  soberly  in  their  master's  tracks ;  more- 
over, Gip  often  asked  to  be  carried.  Captain 
Spencer  himself  felt  an  indescribable  languor 
creeping  over  him  ;  and  thinking  that  that  damp 
night,  and  the  continued  reflection  of  warm  air 
from  the  cliffs  had  engendered  a  certain  portion  of 
fever,  he  deemed  it  advisable  to  leave  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  sea,  and  go  more  inland  for 
the  sake  of  a  dryer  atmosphere.  His  compass,  he 
flattered  himself,  was  regular  in  its  movements,  and 
that  there  would  be  no  diflaculty  in  keeping  the 
proper  direction  for  Adelaide.  He  immediately 
chose  the  first  accessible  part  of  the  cliff,  by  which 
Tiger  mounted  with  his  load ;  and  all  things 
secured,  they  started  early  in  the  morning,  and 
were  saluted  on  their  arrival  above  by  the  odour 
of  the  Clematis,  and  a  number  of  Gum-trees  in  the 
distance- 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Bpinifex — Bark  of  Gum-tree — Excrescence  on  tree — Well — Rhago- 
dia — Water  scarce — AVater  from  Gum-trees — Hot  wind — Dew — ■ 
Salt  lake — Salsola — Mirage — Gum-tree  roots — Emigrating  birds 
— Cold  wind  and  frost — Hakea — Curious  stones — Absence  of  ani- 
mal and  vegetable  life— Sand,  quartz,  iron — Scorcbing  sun — No 
water,  no  food — Distress  of  Captain  Spencer — Dog  and  horse  suf- 
fer much — Tiger  appears  to  die — Sorrow  of  Captain  Spencer — 
Kinchela  lies  down  to  die — Captain  Spencer  gives  himself  up  for 
lost,  and  becomes  insensible — A  shower  in  the  night  somewhat 
revives  him — A  Pigeon  shows  the  way  to  some  water — Captain 
Spencer  rouses  himself  and  reaches  the  place,  drinks,  and  takes 
some  to  bis  companions — All  go  to  the  well — Kinchela  and  Gipsy 
eat  Kangaroo  skin  and  fall  asleep — While  sitting  with  his  face 
between  his  hands,  Captain  Spencer's  hat  is  taken  off — Sees  Tiger 
with  it  in  his  mouth — Joy — Rest  three  days — Mountains — Coun- 
try improves — Copious  rain — Old  Man. 

Poor  Tiger  was  henceforth  obliged  to  content 
himself  with  dry  and  withered  grass,  for  the 
Xanthorrhoeoe  and  Kingii  were  getting  very  scarce  ; 
and  nothing  seemed  to  offer  itself  as  a  likely  sub- 
stitute. The  young  shoots  of  trees  were  occasion- 
ally boiled  for  him  when  there  was  water  ;  but 
those  of  the  Gum-trees  turned  black  on  being  so 
treated ;  and  then  his  master  feared  to  give  them 
22*  (257^ 


258  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

to  him.     Digging  holes  in  the  sand  of  dried  beds 
generally  yielded  some  liquid ;  but  never,  unless  it 
was  a  large  pool,  did  Captain  Spencer  enjoy  the 
luxury  of  water  ablution ;  on  one  occasion,  how- 
ever, he  was  disappointed  even  of  this  ;  for,  just 
as  he  had  walked  in  up  to  the   knees,  he  saw  the 
water  full  of  small  brown  leeches ;  so  that  he  was 
forced  to  make  his  escape  as  quickly  as  possible, 
with  bleeding  legs.     Sand-rubbing,   in  the   Arab 
fashion,  was  therefore  resumed  ;  and  dry  enough  it 
was  to  scrub  very  hard  ;  and  there  was  no  moisture 
in  his  skin  to  soften   it,  as  is  generally  the  case 
when  drought  is  coming  on  in  this  country.    When 
the  diggings  began  to  fail,  he   felt  great  alarm  ; 
■  and  whole  tracts  of  Spinifex  increased  poor  Tiger's 
diflBculties.     Gip  profited  much  by  the  smaller  ani- 
mals in  it ;  and  Kinchela,  who  was  fast  recovering 
his  former  good  temper  and  activity,  still  kept  up 
his  spirits.     He  told  his  master  that  he  could  get 
him  plenty  of  meal ;  and  he  gathered  the  seeds  of 
the  withered  grass,*  which  was  almost  too  dry  for 
the  horse,  separated    them  from    the   husks   and 
pounded  them  ;  or  he  took  the  bark  of  the  Gum- 
trees,  and  roasted  and  crushed  that,  which  was  a 
little    bitter,    nevertheless    palatable.       "  It   will 
make  us  strong,"  said  Captain  Spencer.     "Yes," 
replied  the  man,  "  black  fellow  eat  nothing  else 
for  long  time."     On  tlie  follovving  day  there  vias 

*  Pauicum  laevinoiie. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  259 

no  water  to  moisten  the  meal,  and  Kinchela  found 
a  tree  with  large  excrescences ;  he  tapped  each, 
and  listened ;  stuck  his  knife  into  one,  and  from  it 
issued  a  quantity  of  fluid,  which  answered  the  pur- 
pose ;  it  was  rather  bitter ;  nevertheless  Tiger 
drank  it ;  but  he  seemed  to  consider  that  that  mas- 
ter who  had  hitherto  supplied  all  his  wants,  no 
longer  obeyed  his  request  for  drink.  Two  days 
had  passed  without  liquid  of  any  sort ;  but  towards 
evenino;  a  fli";ht  of  black  Cockatoos  and  other  birds 
passed  over  their  heads  from  the  north,  and  de- 
scended to  the  ground  at  a  little  distance.  "  Boc 
colo,  see  those  birds,"  said  the  native;  "they  al 
ways  go  down  and  find  water ;  we  find  some  too." 
He  and  his  master  started  with  cans  and  skins  ; 
and  on  arrivina;  where  the  Cockatoos  had  alifrhted 
in  numbers,  they  perceived  a  native  well,  carefully 
covered  over  with  stones.  Gip  Avas  only  too  happy 
to  help  frighten  away  the  Cockatoos  ;  and  Charlie 
fought  with  two  or  three  who  were  more  bold  than 
the  others  ;  so  that  they  were  all  kept  at  bay, 
while  Captain  Spencer  removed  the  stones.  The 
water  was  green  and  muddy,  but  Tiger  and  Gip 
were  glad  of  it ;  then  came  Kinchela 's  turn  to  be 
served,  and  but  a  cupfull  remained  for  their  master. 
Some  of  the  bir'^s  were  killed  for  eating,  and  the 
rest  took  flight  witi'.  loud  screeches.  The  stones 
were  replaced  ;  and  ir  was  hoped  that  water  would 
drain  in  before  morning       \  mere  drop  was  ob- 


260  AUSTRALIAJSr    WANDERERS. 

tained,  in  which  Charlie  was  allowed  to  dip  his  bill 
once  or  twice ;  the  rest  was  bestowed  on  the  four- 
footed  beasts.  "All's  right,"  said  the  good  bird, 
as  the  well  was  finally  closed ;  and  Kinchela  came 
in  for  praise  on  the  score  of  forbearance ;  his  mas- 
ter being  always  particularly  careful  to  do  this 
when  he  could;  and  never  excited  the  sensitive 
Jealousy,  which  he,  in  common  with  many  other 
savages,  possessed ;  not  confining  it  to  the  human 
race,  but  extending  it  to  all  objects  of  preference 
or  affection. 

The  route  was  more  and  more  difficult ;  and  the 
travellers  proceeded  slowly  through  a  monotonous 
but  hard  sort  of  scrub,  formed  of  Rhagodia,  in 
which  they  saw  many  Pigeons,  which  had  crept 
under  the  bushes,  apparently  in  the  course  of  their 
migration  from  the  north,  and  some  of  which  they 
secured.  That  night  they  all  lay  down  to  rest 
without  a  drop  of  moisture  for  their  parched 
throats  ;  and  Tiger  crept  close  up  to  his  master, 
and  laid  his  head  upon  his  shoulder,  as  if  he  knew 
the  serious  alarm  which  that  master  felt  for  his 
dear  horse,  and  wished  to  console  him.  In  the 
morning  Kinchela  begged  him  to  take  his  glass  and 
mount  a  hill  at  some  little  distance,  and  "  look  for 
much  tree."  Captain  Spencer  obeyed,  and  did  see 
a  long  range  of  Gum-trees,  the  news  of  which  was 
joyfully  received  by  the  native  ;  and  he  entreated 
his  master  to  let  them  all  go  there  and  look  for 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  261 

water.  Tiger  was  stiff  and  languid  ;  but  he  roused 
himself  at  words  which  he  had  seldom  disobeyed, 
and  slowly  followed  to  the  trees.  On  arriving  they 
proved  to  be  Eucalypti;  and  asking  for  the  spade, 
Kinchela  quickly  ran  from  one  to  the  other,  as  if 
to  select  the  best.  He  stopped  at  one  that  was 
large  and  healthy,  to  all  appearance  ;  he  dug  at  a 
few  feet  distance  from  the  trunk,  and  came  to  some 
of  the  lateral  roots  ;  he  laid  them  bare ;  and  break- 
ing one  on  the  side  next  the  tree,  he  lifted  up  the 
root,  and  his  master  helped  him  to  take  several 
feet  of  it  out  of  the  soil ;  he  then  divided  it  into 
pieces  from  six  to  eight  inbhes  long  ;  shook  one  into 
the  can,  and  water  came  out  of  it,  spreading  like  a 
fan;  the  others  he  placed  in  the  cans,  and  lae 
liquid  freely  ran  from  them.  The  moment  he  SdW 
the  drops  issue,  Captain  Spencer  seized  one  of  the 
pieces  and  held  it  in  Tiger's  mouth,  every  part  of 
which  was  moistened ;  and  he  ended  by  munching 
the  root  with  great  satisfaction.  Gip  had  a  piece 
thrown  to  her  with  an  order  to  eat  it ;  and  she  Avith 
delight  lay  down  on  the  ground  with  it  between  her 
paws,  and  sucked  out  the  refreshing  fluid.  In  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  a  quart  had  exuded  from  the 
different  pieces  of  root,  and  then  Tiger  had  a  long 
drink  ;  and  as  he  enjoyed  it,  he  turned  his  large 
expressive  eyes  on  his  master  with  a  look  of  ulYec- 
tionate  gratitude.  "Boccolo  take  spade  and  stop 
here,"  said  Kinchela;  "get  plenty  of  water  tc  go 


262  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

on ;"  and  this  was  not  to  spare  himself,  for  he  dug 
at  the  same  time  with  a  sharp-pointed  stick.  On 
going  to  younger  trees  he  took  up  some  of  their 
roots,  peeled  ofl'  the  bark,  put  them  in  hot  ashes 
till  they  were  crisp,  pounded  them  between  two 
stones,  and  made  them  into  excellent  meal,  which 
reminded  the  European  of  the  taste  of  malt.  Then 
did  he  entirely  rejoice  in  the  presence  of  Kinchela, 
which,  when  disgusted  with  his  gluttony,  he  had 
occasionally  regretted ;  for  these  resources  must 
have  remained  hidden  from  a  stranger  ;  and  even 
when  Kinchela  again  trespassed  beyond  the  bounds 
of  moderation,  the  recollection  of  the  Gum-trees 
procured  his  forgiveness.  The  discovery  revived 
his  cheerful  anticipations,  and  gaily  did  he  start 
again  with  full  cans  and  skins ;  for  he  hoped  they 
should  be  able  to  travel  from  one  set  of  trees  to 
another,  and  never  again  know  privation. 

How  fallacious  the  hopes  of  Captain  Spencer 
were,  was  proved  by  the  increasing  scarcity  of  the 
Eucalypti ;  the  same  sufferings  recurred,  and  were 
again  endured  with  patience.  Tiger  was  the  chief 
anxiety ;  and  there  were  times  when  the  poor 
beast  laid  himself  down,  that  he  scarcely  seemed 
to  care  whether  he  ever  got  up  again.  Now  and 
then  Charlie  also  seemed  to  suifer,  and  appeared 
exhaustei,  as  if  he  had  flown  far  in  search  of  wa- 
ter, and  had  not  found  it ;  then  he  would  say,  his 
master  having  once  uttered  the  epithet  on  such  an 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.         263 

occasion,  "  Here's  Charlie,  poor  fellow !  Boccolo 
fcialiib,  Ned  Spencer,  poor  fellow!  poor  fellow!" 
He  must,  however,  frequently  have  been  able  to 
drink  when  they  were  destitute  of  the  life-sup- 
porting liquid. 

In  order  to  keep  the  wheaten  flour  brought  from 
the  Marie  in  better  condition,  it  had  been  made 
into  thin  cakes,  and  not  touched  as  long  as  any 
other  could  be  procured.  One  day,  by  way  of  ex- 
periment, Captain  Spencer  gave  a  piece  to  Tiger, 
and  to  his  great  pleasure  the  animal  ate  it  with 
avidity ;  and  as  it  engendered  much  less  thirs+j 
than  the  raw  meal,  and  was  much  more  nutritious, 
ii  was  solely  reserved  for  the  horse.  This  pre- 
caution was  of  great  service  ;  for  it  seemed  to  re- 
cruit his  strength,  and  was  much  lighter  tlian  the 
iieavy  mashes  with  whicii  he  had  hxtcly  been  fed ; 
he  walked  much  better  ;  and  though  he  did  not 
recover  his  gaiety,  he  resumed  much  of  his  usual 
action. 

They  came  to  a  large  open  scrub,  Avithout  a  sign 
of  a  hill  or  a  tree ;  and  Captain  Spencer  looked 
round  him  with  a  heavy  foreboding.  A  hot  with 
ering  wind  bknv  from  the  interior.  "  This  cainot 
have  come  across  a  sea,"  said  lie  to  himself.  The 
ground  was  so  scorchingly  hot,  that  the  horse, 
when  l;e  stood  still,  pawed  the  ground  to  find  a 
place  under  the  surface  wliicli  would  be  cooler  for 
his  feet.     Timber  had  been  there,  but  it  was  no'W 


264  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERER-^ 

fallen,  and  was  dead  ;  the  scrub  -was  dry  and  brit» 
cle,  and  sharp  pieces  of  flint  lay  upon  the  soil. 
Knowing  that  natives  much  frequented  these 
places,  for  the  sake  of  the  Wallabies,  Opossums, 
and  small  Kangaroos  in  them,  when  he  had  re- 
signed his  portion  of  water  to  the  others,  and 
covered  the  baggage  with  tarpauling,  Captnin  Spen- 
cer determined  that  Gip  should  lie  on  the  open 
ground,  that  she  might  be  alive  to  the  least  sound 
which  might  foretel  danger.  All,  however,  was 
perfectly  quiet,  and  the  party  slept  soundly  till 
about  an  hour  before  sunrise;  then  Kinchela 
started  up  and  awakened  his  master,  exclaiming, 
"  Up,  Boccolo,  up,  get  water  !  when  sun  comes, 
all  gone  !"  At  this  welcome  sound.  Captain  Spen- 
cer was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant ;  and  following 
the  instructions  of  Kinchela,  he,  with  a  wisp  of 
dried  grass,  swept  large  drops  of  dew  from  off  the 
bushes  and  long  grass,  into  the  cans,  and  was  sur- 
prised to  see  how  rapidly  it  accumulated,  and  the 
quantity  which  they  collected.  "  Quick,  Boccolo  ! 
quick!"  said  Kinchela,  "sun  coming:"  and  he 
was  right ;  directly  the  sun  shone  above  the  hori- 
zon, the  dew  disappeared  as  if  by  magic.  This 
discovery  again  seemed  to  take  a  load  from  the 
Englishman's  heart,  and  he  cheerfully  thought, 
these  are  the  secrets  of  the  desert,  and  this  is  how 
wild  men  are  able  to  travel  through  these  arid 
regions,  and  pass  over  hundreds  of  miles  without 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDT^REIIS.         265 

finding  a  pool  or  a  spring.  He,  however,  soon 
came  to  a  still  more  desert  region,  and  entirely 
passed  the  limits  of  that  belt  of  vegetation  which 
surrounds  the  barren  waste  in  the  interior  of  this 
mysterious  land,  and  which  seemed  to  be  very 
narrow  on  the  southern  side.  As  he  walked  on 
that  day,  Kinchela  suddenly  caught  him  by  the 
arm,  and  drajrixed  him  on  one  side  ;  for  on  the 
spot  where  he  would  next  have  trod,  lay  an  Adder, 
more  than  two  feet  long,  and  beautifully  marked. 
It  was  quite  quiet,  and  Gip  had  passed  wide  of  it, 
and  so  escaped  alarm.  Kinchela  told  him  that  it 
was  its  way  to  be  quiet ;  but  if  he  had  touched  it, 
it  would  have  sprung  upon  him,  and  if  bitten,  he 
must  have  died  immediately. 

The  dog  and  horse  were  renovated  by  the  col- 
lection of  dew,  and  then  came  the  consideration 
Avhether  they  should  or  should  not  advance  into 
the  sandy  hills,  which  now  lay  before  them,  and 
were  most  unpromising,  rising  like  dead  brick 
walls  in  the  field  of  the  telescope.  They  appeared 
to  be  of  vast  extent,  and  no  dew  was  left ;  would 
it  be  better  to  traverse  them  at  once,  or  wait  the 
chance  of  another  dew,  for  these  blessings  were 
not  of  nightly  occurrence  ?  They  decided  on 
g-oino;  on  :  and  a  second  dew  did  come,  where  there 
was  neither  grass  nor  bushes  on  which  it  could 
rest ;  and  then  it  struck  Captain  Spencer  that  he 
might  ca'ch  it  by  spreading  out  the  tarpauling, 
23 


263         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

and  laying  over  it  the  handkerchiefs  and  linen, 
which  had  been  given  to  him  by  Captain  Royer ; 
the  latter  of  which  he  had  not  worn  while  travel- 
ling. This  was  put  in  practice  every  night,  and 
they  were  more  than  once  saturated  with  dew,  were 
wrung  into  the  cans,  and  afforded  a  mouthful  or 
two  to  those  Avho  most  wanted  drink. 

The  travellers  were  now  encircled  by  a  region 
of  sand-ridges,  without  a  blade  of  grass,  or  a  small 
unimal  for  Gip's  dinner,  and  late  at  night  they 
sank  down,  overcome  with  thirst  and  fatisue.  In 
the  night.  Captain  Spencer  was  restless  and  fever- 
ish, and  almost  mechanically  rose  to  examine  the 
linen  outside  .the  tarpauling ;  he  drew  one  of  the 
handkerchiefs  to  his  mouth,  sucked  it,  and  was  re- 
freshed. An  ample  supply  was  afforded  in  the 
morning,  and  they  all  started  with  tolerable  com- 
fort ;  it  was,  however,  the  last  time  that  the  bles- 
sing was  vouchsafed.  They  mounted  a  ridge  of 
sand,  which  lay  before  them,  and  to  their  great 
surprise,  a  broad  sheet  of  water,  extending  nearly 
north  and  south,  lay  before  them  ;  not  fresh,  how- 
ever, for  the  deep  indigo-blue  of  its  colour  too 
plainly  indicated  its  saline  nature.  The  telescope 
told,  that  far  to  the  north  it  inclined  towards  the 
east.  "  Did  it  reach  the  sea  on  the  south  ?"  asked 
Captain  Spencer  of  the  native, — "  was  it  a  large 
arm  of  the  ocean,  o]-  a  lake  ?"  Kinchela  did  not 
know,  but  pointing  to  the  north,  said,  "Veiy  bad 


AUSTRALIAN     W  A  N  D  R  U  E  R  S  .  267 

poiTxtrj  up  there  ;  nothing  to  eat,  nothing  to  drink ; 
Kincheh-i  (for  he  generally  put  himself  first),  Boc- 
colo,  Gip,  go  back  to  find  big-tree,  make  boat,  and 
go  away  far,  far  ;  but  big  dog  not  can  go  in  boat." 
By  this  his  master  supposed  he  meant  a  canoe  of 
the  Eucalyptus  bark,  and  knew  well  that  Tige", 
with  all  his  cleverness,  could  not  cross  in  so  fragila 
a  conveyance ;  and  he  assured  the  native,  that  if 
it  were  to  save  his  life,  he  would  not  leave  Tiger 
behind ;  but  he  might  go  if  he  pleased.  Kinchela 
shook  his  head,  and  said,  "Not  can  go.'  Fortu- 
nately the  lake  was  frequented  by  wild  fowl  of 
various  species,  which  afforded  a  supply  of  food. 
ITresh  water  was  the  difficulty,  and  digging  in  ths 
neighbourhood  only  produced  brine.  It  was  for- 
tunate that  none  of  the  party  were  aware  at  that 
time  that  they  had  at  least  three  hundred  miles  to  go 
before  they  could  get  rid  of  that  lake,  and  a  terrific 
desert  to  cross  on  the  way ;  for  although  Kinchela 
had  some  idea  of  it,  he  could  not  measure  the  ex- 
tent of  the  evils  which  awaited  them.  With  such 
a  certainty  in  prospect,  Captain  Spencer  would 
probably  have  turned  back  to  the  west,  and  once 
more  endeavoured  to  reach  one  of  the  settlements 
of  that  coast.  He  now,  however,  was  as  anxious 
to  proceed  rapidly  as  he  had  before  been  inclined 
to  take  matters  leisurely.  He  determined,  from 
that  time,  with  Kinchela  and  Gip,  to  subsist  en- 
'irely  on  animal  food,  as  the  prospect  of  refilling 


268  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS, 

their  meal-bags  was  so  distant,  and  Tiger  miist 
liave  all  which  was  left. 

Only  when  obliged  to  halt,  in  consequence  of 
the  intense  heat,  did  the  travellers  rest  in  the  mid* 
die  of  the  day ;  and  now  Captain  Spencer  thought 
it  right  to  proceed  on  the  Sunday,  for  since  he  had 
possessed  the  almanac,  he  had  kept  the  Sabbath 
as  a  day  of  rest.  Whenever  they  came  to  a  fresh 
sand-ridge,  if  not  obliged  to  cross  it,  he  mounted 
on  to  the  top,  glass  in  hand  ;  and  on  one  occasion 
far  away  to  the  west,  he  saw  a  belt  of  trees,  the 
sort  easily  recognized  by  their  peculiar  green. 
The  travellers  gladly  diverged  from  their  route, 
and  proceeded  towards  it,  where  the  water  and 
food  afforded  by  the  roots  again  saved  the  poor 
horse.  It  was  easy  to  trace  their  way  back  again 
by  the  marks  of  their  footsteps,  so  that  they  had 
iio  unnecessary  wandering  in  that  dreadful  region. 
i"<^a  soil  of  which  Avas  so  impregnated  with  salt,  that 
it  lay  in  shining  crystals  under  their  feet.  The 
only  vegetation  consisted  of  patches  of  a  salsola- 
ceous  plant  like  samphire,  which  Tiger  at  first 
eagerly  cropped  ;  but  the  sensible  animal  finding 
that  it  made  him  more  thirsty,  soon  refused  to  touch 
it,  green  and  fresh  as  it  looked.  Occasionally  a 
stunted  bush  of  Goodeniae  was  found  among  it,  but 
it  was  nearly  withered. 

Several  days  passed  in  this  manner,  and  again 
Captain   Spencer   thought  he  saw  a  row  of  treeo 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     269 

looking  like  the  useful  Eucalypti ;  he  rejoiced  for 
poor  Tiger's  sake ;  but  it  ^Yas  only  a  deceitful 
mirase,  and  their  situation  could  not  be  satis- 
factorily  ascertained ;  they  were  possibly  those 
which  they  had  last  visited,  and  when  the  reflec- 
tion of  them  appeared  in  the  sky,  all  hope  was 
gone.  Worn  out  and  footsore,  he  could  scarcely 
unload  the  poor  horse,  who  that  night  instantly 
sank  upon  the  ground.  Alarmed  at  this  exhaustion, 
his  master  shook  ofi"  his  own  fatigue,  and  called 
Kinchela  to  help  to  rub  the  poor  beast's  legs.  No 
answer  was  made  to  the  summons,  and  the  man 
was  not  to  be  seen.  "  What  can  have  become  of 
him !"  said  Captain  Spencer  ;  "  and  Gip  missing 
too  !  what  has  happened?"  He  called,  he  whist- 
led, but  only  Charlie  came  with  his  usual  cheerful 
note,  and  information  of  his  arrival;  but  this  in- 
duced his  mastex-  to  look  for  the  others  in  the  direc- 
tion whence  he  flew.  Then  he  saw  them,  like 
small  specks  upon  the  sand,  but  evidently  return- 
ing Kinchela,  more  accustomed  than  he  to  the 
appearance  of  Australian  scenery,  had  succeeded 
in  finding  the  trees,  and  taking  Gip  Avith  him,  was 
returning  laden  with  roots,  the  broken  ends  of 
which  he  had  stopped  from  flowing  by  lumps  of 
sand.  A  piece  was  instantly  put  into  the  horse's 
mouth,  who  munched  that  and  others  till  he  could 
swallow  them.  Some  of  the  liquid  proceeding 
from  them  was  then  poured  into  his  mouth,  an  I  he 
23* 


270  AUSTRALIAN     WAND'ERERS. 

was  refreshed.  Gip  now  so  perfectly  understood 
all  which  happened,  that  she  had  already  helped 
herself,  and  was  as  gay  as  ever.  Kinchela,  who 
rose  in  energy,  activity,  and  willingness  in  all 
cases  of  emergency,  proposed  to  his  master  to  wait 
where  he  was  till  he  had  heen  two  or  three  times 
to  the  trees  to  ensure  fresh  supplies ;  and  con- 
triving to  raise  the  tarpauling  upon  the  spears,  and 
pUt  a  heap  of  sand  at  his  back,  he  assented  to  the 
plan.  In  addition  to  the  water  and  roots.  Kin- 
chela  procured  some  Acacia  seeds  from  the  scrub, 
which  were  beaten  into  a  meal,  which  he  liked  very 
much,  and  ate  Avhile  his  master  devoured  the 
roots. 

Again  the  travellers  started,  keeping  rather 
wide  of  the  lake,  for  close  to  it  the  sand  was  so 
heavy  that  the  labour  of  walking  was  increased 
threefold  ;  but  they  remained  as  much  as  possible 
on  the  top  of  the  high  ridges  which  ran  parallel  to 
i-t.  Countless  numbers  of  migrating  birds,  all  from 
the  north  and  north-west,  replenished  the  provisicn- 
bags,  being  evidently  on  their  way  to  some  more 
fertile  region  ;  for  all  the  Psittaceous  or  Parrot 
tribe  are  known  to  confine  their  habitations  to  rich 
and  well  watered  districts.  Among  them  were  the 
Psittacus  Novae  Hollandiae,  or  New  Holland  Par- 
rot, !md  the  Shell  Pavrakeets,  looking  like  flights 
of  Starlings.  Occasional  showers  of  sand,  pro- 
bably raised  by  a   current  of  wind,  annoyed  an^ 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDEllERS.  IIU 

almost  blinded  the  travellers.  Several  times  small 
whirlwinds  raised  smoke-like  columns  of  sand,  and 
•frequently  made  the  Englishman  hope  that  native 
fires  were  near,  and  that  there  he  should  find 
water. 

One  night  a  cold  wind  surprised  Captain  Sp.n- 
cer,  also  coming  from  the  north,  whence  the  hoi; 
and  withering  sirocco  had  hitherto  proceeded:  it 
was  impossible  to  account  for  this,  as  well  as  other 
sudden  variations ;  and  to  his  astonishment,  a  more 
remarkable  phenomenon  made   its  appearance  in 
the  shape  of  a  frost,  as  an  accompaniment  to  the 
cold  breeze.     For  some  little  time,  however,  the 
mornings  and  evenings  had  been  much  cooler,  and 
even  opossum-cloaks  had  been  acceptable  during 
the  hours  of  slumber.     These  sudden  changes  of 
temperature    were,  nevertheless,    refreshing,   and 
enabled  them  to  go  through  the  additional  fatigue 
occasioned  by   deep   fissures   in   the  soil,   whi^'h 
obliged  them  frequently  to  go  round,  for  they  wer 3 
generally  too  wide  and  deep  to  leap  over ;  they, 
however,  showed  that  the  basis  of  the  country  was 
sandstone,   with   a   bed  of  clay,   on   which  were 
heaped  the  ridges  of  sand,  and  which  to  a  certain 
degree  bound  them  together.     Again  did  the  heat 
return  as  suddenly  as  it  had  left  them,  and  clo-.i'i's 
frequently  gave  hopes  of  a  thunder-storm  ;  but  tho 
heated  air  which  rose  from  below  dispersed  the 
clouds,  and  they  were  disappointed.     At  a  distance 


-i    J  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

lay  lagoon?^  which  Kinchela  was  sent  to  inspect*, 
but  he  invariably  returned,  saying  they  were  salt ; 
and  some  being  dried  up,  left  a  glittering  white 
residue  of  this  mineral.  The  mud  which  he  now 
and  then  brought  back  from  the  borders  of  the 
pools,  seemed  also  to  contain  gypsum. 

At  length  the  water  of  the  lake  gradually  shrank 
in  its  wide  bed,  which  had  now  much  more  de- 
cidedly taken  an  eastern  direction  ;  then  it  lay  in 
pools,  leaving  a  residue  of  sand  and  clay  between 
them,  which  was  much  too  soft  ,to  bear  their  foot- 
steps. A  region  of  Hakea  scrubs,  interspersed 
with  Mimosa,  Gum,  and  Melaleucas,  offered  some 
resources,  and  they  halted  for  a  few  additional 
hours ;  Captain  Spencer  anxiously  watching  the 
frequently  gathering  clouds,  all  of  which,  however, 
gave  but  deceitfdl  hopes.  In  this  spot  they  came 
upon  a  solitary  pool  of  fresh  water,  when  least 
expected,  which  gladdened  the  eyes  and  throats 
cf  the  suffering  wanderers,  and  formed  another  of 
thoso  strange  inconsistencies  with  which  Australia 
s.beu>nds  They  slept  by  it,  filled  their  vessels,  and 
V.;?t  it  to  wade  through  a  thick  scrub  of  fatiguing 
and  prickly  Spinifex, — during  which  Gip  again 
rode  on  the  knapsack.  It  was  interspersed  with 
occasional  patches  of  small  stones,  a  little  convex 
en  one  side,  looking  like  biscuits,  in  which  Captain 
iSpencer  detected  lime  mixed  with  the  sand ;  and 
rhhers,  in  which  lay  round  balls  of  iron  and  sand,* 


A  U  K  1  II  A  L  1  A  N    WANDERERS.  2TS 

some  like  marbles,  and  others  like  cannon-balla 
with  rings  round  them  ;  some  were  clustered  to- 
gether like  grape-shot ;  and  all  were  probably 
formed  by  the  action  of  water.  This  monotonous 
region  w^as  in  some  degree  relieved  by  the  presence 
of  plants,  such  as  Polygonum,  Angophora,  and 
patches  of  dried-up  grass,  from  which  Tiger  -vainly 
endeavoured  to  derive  nourishment.  Th3n  ap- 
peared stunted  Gum-trees,  which  were  really  use- 
ful, though  their  roots  were  nearly  dry ;  then  suc- 
ceeded a  plain,  which  became  more  intersected  by 
dry  water-courses,  seeming  to  tell  that  in  the  winter 
the  whole  place  was  filled  with  torrents  of  water 
Salsola  bushes  looked  tempting,  but  were  a  dan- 
gerous indulgence,  and  Captain  Spencer  was 
pleased  to  see  that  Tiger  resisted  them ;  his  own 
life  was  one  of  continued  forbearance,  that  he 
might  prolong  that  of  others ;  and  he  afterwards 
thought  that,  to  his  extreme  moderation  in  drink- 
ing, he  owed  much  of  his  power  of  sustaining 
positive  drought. 

At  the  end  of  a  long  journey,  continued  with 
but  little  intermission  during  the  whole  day,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  remarked  that  no  birds,  no  trees,  no 
living  thing  had  been  lately  seen ;  for  even  the 
scrub  had  disappeared,  and  the  horizon  was  bounded 
by  some  sand-hills  which  appeared  to  lie  directly 
in  their  path.  "  Beyond  these,"  said  he,  "  is  surely 
the  head  of  the  lake,  and  there  we  shall  find  some- 


274  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

thing  better."  Arousing  the  party  earlier  than 
usual,  he  having  been  too  anxious  to  sleep,  and 
swallowing  a  mouthful  from  their  now  scanty  stores, 
he  gave  the  dumb  beasts — for  Charlie  now  asked 
for  one  or  two  dips  of  his  bill — the  last  drop  of 
water  ere  they  started  ;  Tiger  stiff  and  sore-footed. 
On  they  went,  silently  and  slowly,  and  with  diffi- 
culty did  the  poor  horse  ascend  the  hill,  his  master 
almost  pushing  him  up  the  steepest  parts.  Kin- 
chela  was  in  advance,  and  when  he  reached  the 
summit,  he  suddenly  stopped,  and  exclaimed : 
"Oh!  Boccolo,  bad  place!"  and  truly  did  the 
prospect  appal  even  the  stout  heart  of  the  Eng- 
lishman. Before  them  lay  a  Jarge  tract  as  wide 
as  the  eye  could  scan,  the  whole  surface  of  which 
was  covered  with  large  and  small  stones,  on  which 
nothing  grew,  and  near  which  nothing  appeared 
to  live.  These  stones  were  chiefly  composed  of 
quartz  and  sand ;  and  occasional  undulations 
showed  that  water  might  lodge  there  in  the  winter 
season,  but  all  had  now  evaporated.  Also  fre- 
quent masses  of  almost  pure  iron  made  the  com- 
pass unsteady.  The  sun  scorched  this  sandy  plain, 
and  so  heated  the  stones,  tbat  Tiger  and  Gipsy 
were  almost  afraid  to  put  their  feet  doAvn  upon 
them,  and  frequently  Captain  Spencer  could  not 
hold  them.  Tlie  often-repeated  question  again 
rose  to  his  lips,  of  what  was  to  be  done  ?  the  teles- 
cope everywhere  disclosed  the  same  features :  no 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     275 

neater,  biit  little  food,  no  apparent  termination  to 
the   sterilf3  ocean  before,  behind,  and  all  around 
them.     To  go  back  the  traveller  knew  was  a  cer- 
tainty of  days  without  relief ;  to  go  forwards,  he 
feared  would  be  the  same  ;  and,  leaning  his  head 
upon  Tiger's  neck,  the  strong  man  was  for  a  mo- 
ment overcome.      Kinchela  looked  wistfully  and 
sadly  at  the  scene.     Gip  inquired  most  meaningly 
by  her  cojintenance  what  was   the  matter;    and 
Tiger  stood  patiently  with  his  head  bent  towards 
the  ground.     But  the  faith  and   trust  which  had 
hitherto   supported  the   English  soldier  were  not 
wanting   in  this  hour  of  extremity,   and   a  silent 
and  fervent  prayer  was  lifted  to  Heaven  for  fur- 
ther succour.     Then  followed  the  consideration  of 
how  human  means   could  be   made  serviceable  in 
overcoming  this  fearful  difficulty.     Some  strips  of 
dried  meat  were  still  left ;  and  making  some  of 
the  largest  into  balls,  he  pushed  them  down  Tiger's 
throat,  gave   one   to   Gipsy,  another  to  Kinchela, 
and  then  took   one   himself.     "  On  we  must  eo," 
said  he  to  the  native,   '*  and  not  stop  till  we  fall." 
He  fastened  the  skin  coverings  on  Tiger's  hoofs; 
jiis   load,   from   the   absence   of  provisions,   could 
scarcely  be  lighter,  and,  in  fact,  could  not  be'  an 
incumbrance    to    him.       Kinchela    drew    his    belt 
tighter  round  him,  and  walked  on  with  quiet  resig- 
nation ;  his   niasier    kept  by   the   horfH''s   side   tc 
cheer  him  wiih  kind  words  and  caresses.    Miles  were 


276  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

passed  over ;  Tiger  now  and  then,  with  his  thin 
legs,  stumbling  over  a  larger  stone  than  usual,  and 
giving  his  owner  an  additional  fear  that  he  would 
fall  and  cut  his  knees.  Then  Gip  came  to  a  stand- 
still, whined,  and  lifted  up  one  of  her  fore-feet  to 
be  looked  at ;  and  when  Captain  Spencer  examined 
it,  he  found  that  it  and  all  the  others  were  blis- 
tered and  cut ;  and  she  Avas  of  course  lifted  on  to 
his  shoulders,  for  which  she  showed  her  gratitude 
by  licking  the  back  of  his  neck ;  and  he  was 
quite  startled  when  he  felt  how  hot  her  tongue 
was,  bringing  to  his  mind  hydrophobia  and  other 
evils. 

After  hours  of  unremitting  toil  and  suiTering, 
nature  seemed  as  if  she  could  do  no  more ;  the 
sun  was  sinking,  the  horse  could  with  difficulty 
dracr  his  limbs  along,  and  Kinchela  had  several 
times  laid  himself  down,  saying  he  could  not  go 
any  further ;  on  which,  taking  one  of  the  spears, 
Captain  Spencer  threatened  to  strike  him  with 
it,  if  he  did  not  proceed.  Tiger's  foot-cover- 
ings were  cut  to  pieces,  and  his  hoofs  almost 
worn  to  the  quick,  so  that  he  limped  instead  of 
walked,  and  his  master  thought  they  must  all  lie 
down  and  die.  Charlie  had  altogether  disappeared, 
ind  \t  was  hoped  that  his  wings  had  enabled  him 
to  soar  high  enough  to  descry  relief.  When  night 
f^ame,  however,  the  stones  were  smaller,  sand  was 
mixed  with  them,  then  ridges  of  bright  red  sand 


AUSTRALIAN     WAND  !<;  !l  K  n  S  .         277 

came,  and  beyond  them,  ridges  of  the  same  sand 
were  seen  m  the  distance.  Captain  Spencer  made 
almost  superhuman  efforts  to  reach  them ;  he 
went  straight  towards  them,  spoke  incessantly  to 
Tiger  with  words  of  love  and  approbation ;  he 
almost  lifted  him  up  the  sides,  hoping  to  see  some- 
thing beyond  which  should  impart  hope  ;  but  ridge 
succeeded  ridge,  a  dizziness  came  over  the  soldier's 
eyes,  his  head  became  confused,  and  he  fell  with 
Tiger  by  his  side,  loaded  as  he  was,  and  the  whole 
party  lay  prostrate  on  the  sand. 

The  cool  breeze  at  night  was  refreshing,  and 
Captain  Spencer  thought  it  his  duty,  as  he  awak- 
ened from  a  long  sleep,  to  try  and  eat  what  re- 
mained of  the  dried  meat,  if  his  sAvoUen  throat 
would  allow  him  to  swallow  ;  he  took  the  bags  from 
Tiger,  and  altogether  unloaded  him  ;  the  bags  were 
empty,  for  the  Australian  had  appropriated  the 
last  morsels.  A  flash  of  indignation  at  his  selfish- 
ness crimsoned  the  worn  cheek  of  the  soldier,  but 
he  reflected  on  the  pressing  calls  of  hunger,  and 
forbore  even  to  reproach.  Then,  indeed,  his  heart 
completely  failed,  thick  darkness  seemed  to  come 
over  him,  and  he  lay  down,  thinking  he  should  rise 
no  more.  After  a  while  Tiger  dragged  himself 
closer  to  his  master,  put  his  nose  on  his  shoulder, 
braved  a  long  sigh,  a  convulsive  shudder  ran 
tnrough  his  frame,  and  he  lay  motionless.  "  Dead, 
Tiger,  my  dear  faithful  friend  !"  said  his  master, 
24 


278         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

throwing  his  arm  round  him ;   "  this  is  almost  too 
much  to  bear.     Gip,  darling,  are  you  gone  too  ?' 
but  Gip  uncurled  herself,  walked  round  poor  Tiger, 
licked  him,  looked  at  her  master,  and  again  lay- 
down. 

In  the  morning,  Captain  Spencer,  following  Kin- 
chela's  example,  tightened  his  belt,  and  turning 
round  to  call  him,  saw  him  devouring  one  of  the 
water-skins.  "  Come,"  said  he,  "we  must  carry 
all  we  can."  He  slung  the  tins  across  his  own 
shoulders,  and  the  skins  also,  for  fear  the  man 
should  eat  them,  giving  him  the  cloaks,  spade,  &c., 
taking  care,  however,  to  make  his  own  burden  the 
heaviest ;  and  Avith  Gip  in  her  usual  jDlace,  he  pre- 
pared to  start.  He  cast  a  look  of  agony  on  the 
beautiful  and  motionless  form  of  that  faithful  crea- 
ture, who,  in  days  of  happiness,  had  borne  him  in 
rhe  race,  in  the  hunt,  and  before  the  admiring 
looks  of  rank  and  beauty ;  who  had  travelled  many 
hundred  miles  by  his  side,  never  rebelled,  never 
strayed,  and  had  more  than  once  been  instrumen- 
^■al  in  saving  his  life.  Tears  coursed  each  other 
down  his  cheeks  as  he  turned  away,  feeling  as  if 
he  ought  not  to  leave  him,  although  liis  own  ex- 
istence, and  that  of  the  remaining  party,  depended 
on  his  advance. 

Tbey  traversed  ridge  after  ridge,  till  the  Aus 
tralian  said:  "  Boccolo,  Kinchela  die!"  Gips\ 
was  unable  to  raise  her  head,  and  then,  her  mas- 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  279 

ter  taking  her  in  Lis  arms,  lay  down,  saying,  "  We 
must  follow  poor  Tiger,"  He  dosed,  with  visions 
of  waterfalls,  streams,  verdant  plains,  crowding 
upon  his  sight  and  mind,  and  he  became  insensible, 
with  the  sound  of  water  trickling  in  his  ears.  He 
did  not  know  how  long  he  lay  in  that  unconscious 
state,  but  it  was  morning  when  he  opened  his  eyes, 
and  recollected  all  that  had  happened.  He  was 
wet  all  over,  everything  about  him  was  damp,  and 
he  was  sure  that  either  a  storm  or  heavy  dew  had 
fallen;  still  he  felt  as  if  he  could  not  raise  his 
head,  and  he  lay  still  for  some  time,  when  one  of 
the  beautiful  pigeons  of  the  country  flew  over  his 
head ;  at  some  little  distance  she  descended  to  the 
ground  behind  a  sand-hill,  stayed  for  half  a  min- 
ute, and  then  rose  and  continued  her  course. 
"Bird  of  God,"  he  exclaimed,  "thou  hast  saved 
us  !"  Hope  gave  him  fresh  energy  ;  he  laid  Gip 
upon  the  ground,  and  crawled  to  the  spot  where 
the  pigeon  had  alighted.  Pie  there  beheld  a  large 
pool  of  water  with  green  grass,  and  some  stunted 
Box-trees  growing  round  it ;  he  seized  a  can,  sup- 
ported himself  with  one  of  the  spears,  dipped  it 
in,  took  a  long  draught,  and  felt  a  nev/  man  ;  he 
was  then  strong  enough  to  return  to  liis  compan- 
ions ;  he  poured  some  Avater  down  each  of  their 
throats, — Gip  recovered  the  first,  and  shaking  her- 
self, licked  her  master's  hands.  Kinchela  rose  and 
proceeded  to  the  pool.     CaptaiL.  Spencer  returne^j 


280  AUSTRALIAN     WANDEKErtS. 

to  it ;  but  in  the  m'dst  of  his  thankfulness  he 
dashed  the  tears  from  his  eyes  bj  passing  the  back 
of  his  hand  across  them,  and  in  spite  of  his  deep 
gratitude,  exclaimed :  "  Too  late  for  my  poor 
Tiger!" 

The  travellers  sat  down  by  the  water,  and  a 
piece  of  the  kangaroo-skin  being  left,  it  was  stewed 
for  Kinchela  and  Gipsy;  and  Captain  Spencer 
took  the  provision-bags,  scraped  them,  turned  out 
the  corners,  and  beat  them,  by  which  means  he 
accumulated  a  small  heap  of  flour  which  he  made 
into  a  cake,  and  satisfied  his  hunger,  which  in  fact 
was  not  very  great.  The  native  then  lay  down, 
and  fell  into  a  most  refreshing  slumber.  His  mas- 
ter sat  with  his  head  leaning  upon  his  knees,  and 
also  slept ;  but  he  was  shortly  after  awakened  by 
his  hat  being  suddenly  lifted  ofl"  Cis  head :  he 
started,  saw  Kinchela  and  Gip  still  fast  asleep, 
looked  ai'ound,  and  beheld  his  beloved  horse  stand- 
ing close  beside  him  with  his  hat  in  his  mouth,  and 
Charlie  on  his  back,  who  said,  "All's  right,  Ned 
Spencer  I"  He  was  for  a  moment  struck  with  the 
idea  that  Lis  senses  were  disturbed,  and  it  was  not 
really  Tiger  who  stood  there ;  but  the  next  he 
dipped  the  can  in  the  water,  held  it  to  the  horse's 
mouth,  and  the  needful  cordial  was  quickly  im- 
bibed. He  r  ever  could  account  for  this  resusci 
tation  ;  but  he  believed  that  while  they  lay  insen- 
aible  the  night  after  Tiger  appeared  to  die,  there 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     281 

had  been  a  storm  copious  enough  to  revive  the 
poor  animal,  who  had  afterwards  risen  and  followed 
his  track.  The  warm  embrace  which  followed,  the 
noisy  delight  of  Gipsy,  and  the  astonishment  of 
Kinchela,  mingled  with  joy  and  dread,  all  told  how 
welcome  the  lost  one  was  to  the  whole  party  ;  and 
as  to  Tiger  himself,  he  had  a  great  inclination  to 
dance  upon  his  hind  legs,  but  he  was  not  yet  quite 
equal  to  such  a  performance.  "  If  I  am  ever  so 
hungry,"  said  Captain  Spencer  to  himself,  "  I 
never  will  destroy  another  pigeon,"  In  the  even- 
ing, Gip  and  Kinchela  started  in  search  of  food, 
and  brought  back  some  Jerboas.  Tiger  revelled 
in  the  grass,  Charlie  had  plenty  of  insects,  among 
which  were  Ant-lions  ;*  and  they  all  became 
"giants  refreshed." 

After  a  rest  of  three  days,  the  party  again  went 
on  their  way.  Captain  Spencer  hoping  that  his 
worst  trials  were  over ;  he  bent  his  steps  to  the 
Bouth-east ;  Jerboas  and  two  Crows  in  his  bags, 
two  feeds  of  grass  for  Tiger,  which  he  had  with 
great  labour  cut,  some  pounded  bai'k  for  meal,  and 
as  much  water  as  they  could  carry,  of  which  Kin- 
chela drank  such  a  quantity  before  starting  that 
he  could  scarcely  walk ;  his  master  and  dumb  ser- 
vants refreshed  more  Avisely  and  moderately.  They 
had  not  proceeded  far  when  Captain  Spencer  again 
perceived  the  blue  waters  of  the  lake  at  a  great 

*  Myrmoleou. 

24* 


l"82  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

distance,  and  bsyond  them  a  range  of  lofty  moun- 
tains. A  dark  green  plain  also  met  his  eye,  which 
told  him  that  the  ground  there  was  covered  with 
Salsolse,  and  in  it  were  dry  lagoons  of  salt.  As 
they  proceeded,  some  violent  blasts  of  wind  no"w 
and  +,hen  assailed  them,  which  were  precursors  of 
rain,  and  which  covered  them  with  sand ;  they, 
however,  stopped  under  a  hill,  turned  their  backs 
to  them,  and  waited  till  they  were  over.  "  I  have 
not  seen  a  trace  of  the  inland  sea,"  said  he  to  him- 
self; "but  I  have  been  too  much  occupied  by  the 
difficulties  of  my  route,  to  take  much  notice  of 
anything  which  was  unnecessary  for  our  advance 
or  preserva'ion.  It  is  evident  that  there  is  a 
great  depression  through  which  water  has  passed 
from  north-east  to  south-west.  A  well-equipped 
pa/ty  perhaps  might  penetrate  the  mystery,  but 
not  without  camels,  I  should  think." 

The  country  was  evidently  improving ;  small 
pools  of  water,  either  permanent,  or  filled  with 
surface-draining  after  recent  rain,  were  met  with  ; 
the  liquid  was  not  always  good,  but  to  them  it  was 
acceptable.  Atriplex  and  Acacias  appeared,  and 
no"w'  and  then  a  patch  of  newly  springing  grass. 
They  bivouacked  by  a  small  brackish  lake,  orna- 
mented by  Acacias,  and  in  this  they  caught  some 
silvery.  Perch-like  fishes,  about  six  inches  long, 
which  were  greatly  relished  by  Kinchela.  While 
here  the  clouds  again  gathered,  and  a  heavy  storm 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.        283 

approached ;  Captain  Spencer  prepared  to  receive 
it,  protected  his  fire-arms,  spread  out  the  tarpaul- 
ing,  with  its  edges  turned  up,  to  catch  the  fresk 
water,  and  Kinchela  took  oif  his  shirt.  This  was 
too  good  a  plan  to  be  despised,  and  Captain  Spen- 
cer adopted  it,  hiding  his  own  clothing  under  the 
tarpauling.  Torrents  of  large  drops  fell,  Tiger 
and  Gip  held  out  their  tongues,  and  even  Charlie 
hopped  about  and  shook  his  wings,  saying,  "  What 
a  row !  hurrah!"  for  he  was  gradually  forgetting 
his  French.  This  copious  shower  both  seemed  to 
infuse  new  vigour  into  all,  and  give  fresh  life  to  the 
whole  country,  for  the  pools  of  water  were  more 
frequent  as  they  went  on,  and  Kinchela  said, 
"  Plenty  rain  come  now,  Boccolo."  He  was  right ; 
and  now  it  became  a  matter  of  anxiety  to  get  into 
some  place  of  shelter  before  they  had  too  much 
water — before  the  plains  were  turned  into  swamps, 
rivers  into  floods,  and  they  into  aguish,  shivering 
travellers. 

For  the  present,  however,  these  bursts  of  rain 
softened  the  ground  for  Tiger's  feet,  which  being 
again  wrapped  up  in  skin,  the  hoofs  grew,  and  he 
proceeded  with  great  alacrity  in  the  cooler  atmos 
phere. 

Natives  here  began  to  appear  ;  and  the  first  they 
met  was  a  solitary  old  man,  who  seemed  to  be  very 
much  alarmed  at  the  rencontre.  He  looked  as  if 
he  too  had  been  travelling  across  the  stony  desert, 


284  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERiSRS. 

he  was  so  emaciated,  and  he  would  have  run  away 
as  they  advanced;  Captain  Spencer,  however, 
stopped,  and  desired  Kinchela  to  speak  to  him ;  he 
could  not  or  would  not  understand,  but  he  made 
signs  that  he  was  very  hungry  ;  they  offered  him 
a  bird,  and  this  kindness  inspired  him  with  con- 
fidence. He  remained  with  them  for  two  days, 
during  which  time  a  Wombat  was  speared  by  Kin- 
chela,  for  Captain  Spencer  would  not  use  his  fire- 
arms for  fear  of  frightening  the  old  man  away. 
He  had  his  share  of  that  spoil,  and  when  they 
parted  he  had  some  given  to  him  for  his  joiirnev. 
Captain  Spencer  tried  to  make  him  understand 
that  he  might  go  on  with  them,  but  he  pointed  to 
another  direction.  He  was  wholly  without  cloth- 
ing, had  only  a  spear  and  a  stick  in  his  hand  ;  he 
had  no  means  of  carrying  a  store  of  provisions, 
how  then  would  he  travel,  how  obtain  sustenance  ? 
When  his  master  imparted  these  thoughts  to  Kin 
chela,  the  native  laughed,  and  said,  "  Black  fellow 
not  go  far,  Boccolo.  He  have  gins  not  far  ofi"; 
hi  hide  his  gins  from  Boccolo,  and  gins  get  him 
food.  But  perhaps  old  man  a  boyl-ya  (here  he 
lowered  his  voice),  and  boyl-yas  can  get  every- 
thing ;  but  Kinchela  not  like  to  talk  about  boyl- 
yas,  for  they  make  blacK  fellow  ill  when  he  talks." 
Captain  Spencer  smiled,  for  he  had  always  found, 
wiien  Kinchela  could  not  explain  anything,  be 
oiade  a  convenient  use  of  boyl-yas. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Plenty  of  food — Yellow  bean — Rough  ground — Emus — Fishing- 
Natives — Painted  man — Birds — Man  .and  his  wife — Captain 
Spencer  rescues  nets  from  flames — Rivers — Kinchela  recognizes 
the  country — Finds  a  dead  Kangaroo — Kinchela  not  allowed  to 
take  it — Building  rat — Cold — Encampment  of  natives — Kin- 
chela's  friends — Captain  Spencer  well  received  by  them  for  his 
sake — Captain  Spencer  consents  to  stay  the  winter  with  them 
— The  natives  build  him  a  house — Supply  him  with  provisions — 
Two  men,  Warrup  and  Ugat,  superior  to  the  rest — Opinion  of 
Tiger — Description  of  natives — A  new  tribe  arrives — Their  re- 
ception— Captain  Spencer  taken  for  the  ghost  of  a  relation — Co- 
robbery — Dunce  of  hill  tribe — Warrup  and  Ugat  talk  of  native 
customs  to  their  guest — New  sorts  of  food — Native  manufactures. 

To  those  who  had  been  so  long  half-starved,  the 
increasing  supplies  of  food  created  a  lightness  of 
heart  and  strength  which  enabled  them  to  travel 
at  good  speed.  The  country  assumed  that  park- 
like appearance  which  is  so  refreshing,  because  it 
is  shndy,  yet  sufficiently  open  to  afford  a  circula- 
tion of  air.  Oat-grass  again  presented  itself,  and 
was  eagerly  taken  advantage  of  by  the  ti-avellers  ; 
also  plenty  of  birds,  especially  Crows,  varied  their 
animal    f.-rv.     Dried    up    places,   like   old  water- 

{ 285 ) 


286         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

courses,  still  presented  themselves,  and  Captain 
Spencer  could  scarcely  think  that  they  were  all 
filled  during  the  winter,  unless,  indeed,  that  talked 
of  mysterious  sea  occasionally  poured  its  waters 
over  the  land.  Pieces  and  indications  of  diiferent 
ores  and  metals  attracted  attention ;  but  it  was 
impossible  to  stop  and  examine  ihem  minutely,  on 
account  of  the  haste  supposed  to  be  necessary  for 
gaining  shelter  from  the  heavy  rains  which  they 
expected.  Still  this  heavy  rain  kept  off,  and  the 
storms  were  local,  for  they  met  with  surface-pools, 
when  they  themselves  had  not  experienced  any 
fall  of  water.  The  Yellow  Bean*  reappeared  in 
quantities,  which  was  a  welcome  change  of  diet 
both  to  man  and  horse ;  besides  which  some  lone; 
silky  grassf  was  not  only  eaten  by  the  latter,  but 
when  he  came  to  it  he  looked  so  earnestly  in  his 
master's  face,  that  he  was  unloaded,  and  permission 
given  to  him  to  take  a  roll  in  it ;  the  more  neces- 
sary as  his  Aveary  master  had  not  of  late  been  able 
to  give  him  his  accustomed  cleaning.  Glimpses  of 
mountains  were  occasionally  seen,  which  looked 
more  lofty  than  any  yet  met  with  ;  and  in  their 
own  path,  they  came  upon  hills  of  sandstone, 
cemented  with  iron,  from  which  so  many  lumps 
ind  boulders  had  rolled  down,  that  Tiger's  socks 
were  in  requisition.  These  boulders  often  dis- 
clo'^ed  gypsum,  and  opalised  wood ;  and  the  tops 

*  Dolichos.  t  Kangaroo  grass,  or  A  iitbistiria. 


A  U  S  T  }'v  A  L  I  A  N     WANDERERS.  287 

of  <-he  hills  looked  us  if  tliej  were  of  totally  differ- 
ent formation  to  that  at  their  base,  so  that  when 
the  latter  rose,  they  had  not  disturbed  the  super- 
incumbent strata.  Fossil  limestone  now  and  then 
cropped  out,  chiefly  containing  shells.  Again  did 
they  come  across  Emus ;  but  as  Kincliela  was  not 
old  enough  to  eat  them,  his  master  did  not  expend 
time  or  strength  in  their  capture.  A  Banhinia, 
twenty  feet  high,  had  the  fruit  of  two  seasons  still 
hanging  from  the  ends  of  its  branches,  and  the 
large  flat  seeds  were  roasted  and  eaten. 

T^liagodia  formed  the  scrub  of  large  flat  pl;i;ns, 
wi)  ch  refraction  sometimes  magnified  into  trees ; 
low  sand-hills  were  ascended  and  descended,  and 
on  the  plain  below  were  tall  Gum-trees,  the  roots 
of  which  were  no  longer  necessary  to  their  exist- 
ence. 

At  length,  after  passing  through  many  "a 
tangled  maze,"  the  party  halted  close  to  a  pond, 
the  waters  of  which  were  somewhat  brackish,  the 
grass  round  it  was  coarse  and  wiry,  but  they  had 
with  them  a  supply  of  a  better  kind  for  Tiger,  and 
Captain  Spencer  tried  the  experiment  of  fishing. 
No  sooner  had  he  baited  his  hook  and  thrown  it 
in,  than  the  same  sort  of  shining  Avhite  fish  appeared 
which  he  had  before  caught,  and  a  numerous  cap- 
ture gave  them  a  feast ;  othei's  were  split  and 
roasted,  and  Kinchela  would  have  devoured  them 
all  at  once,  but  his  master  insisted  on  his  forbear- 


i:88  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

ance,  and  lie  dried  a  number  for  the  supply  of 
their  future  journey. 

During  the  march  of  the  ensuing  day,  the  tra- 
vellers fell  in  with  some  natives,  who  stood  and 
stared  at  them,  as  if  paralyzed  with  astonishment, 
and  whether  they  did  or  did  not  understand  Kin- 
chela,  they  would  not  speak  ;  then  they  came  upon 
two  huts  made  of  boughs,  in  which  were  some 
children  at  play,  who  ran  and  hid  themselves  at 
their  approach ;  and  after  these  a  man  came  over 
a  hill  who  was  highly  painted  with  various  colours, 
and  who,  being  equipped  with  spear,  shield,  and 
club,  looked  as  if  •  '■  were  going  to  war.  He  did 
not  evince  any  s'.u'prise  at  the  strangers,  but 
motioned  to  them  to  go  away  from  the  neighbour- 
hood of  their  huts.  Captain  Spencer  then  offered 
him  some  fishes,  which  he  eagerly  accepted,  and 
ate  immediately.  The  wayfarers  then  passed  on, 
without  further  attempts  at  conciliation,  supposing 
some  tribe  to  be  near,  and  the  Englishman  had  no 
inclination  for  an  encounter  with  superior  numbers. 
The  man  stood  gazing  after  them  for  some  time, 
evidently  watching  the  direction  they  took.  They 
made  a  longer  march  than  usual  to  get  beyond  his 
reach,  and  during  the  night  kept  Avatch  alter- 
nately. 

The  patli  continued  through  open  woods,  and 
♦•.hen  an  impervious  jungle  obliged  them  to  alter 
their  course.     Beautiful  birds  of  the  parrot  kind 


AUSTRALIAN     V       N  D  E  R  E  R  S  .        289 

were  again  seen,  and  very  small  Parrakeets  of  ex- 
quisite colours  seemed  permanently  to  inhabit 
tHese  forests.  Among  the  numerous  feathered 
creatures  were  Hawks  with  signs  of  evil  intentions, 
and  Charlie  flew  up  to  his  protector  with  rapidity, 
calling  out,  "  Rogues  and  scoundrels  !"  and  he  was 
so  closely  pursued  by  two  of  them,  that  Kinchela 
knocked  them  down  with  his  stick,  and  Captain 
Spencer  dispersed  the  rest  by  firing  among  them. 
The  noise  of  the  gun  was  heard  afar,  and,  as  the 
travellers  turned  round  the  foot  of  some  low  hills, 
they  saw  a  man  and  his  wife,  who  were  so  fright- 
ened that  they  threw  down  all  they  had  with  them, 
such  as  stones  for  grinding  grass-seeds,  skin-bags, 
containing  roots,  grass-baskets,  some  nets  for 
catching  birds,  made  of  bark  fibres,  and  the  usual 
fire-stick.  The  latter  set  the  grass  on  fire,  and 
the  bags,  nets,  &c.,  would  all  have  been  consumed, 
had  not  Captain  Spencer  rescued  them  from  the. 
flames,  which  fortunately  were  driven  by  the  wind 
away  from  the  spot  where  he  was.  He  held  them 
up  to  the  natives,  but  they  would  not  take  them, 
and  he  therefore  deposited  them  in  a  tree,  and 
went  on,  passing  through  a  lovely  country,  where 
flowers  of  great  beauty,  among  which  was  a  splen- 
did yellow  Ipomgea — showed  that  they  had  had 
rain.  Green  grass  was  under  their  feet,  and  they 
walked  till  evening,  when  they  reached  a  beautiful 
river,  winding  through  a  ravine  of  clifls,  present- 
25 


290    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

iug  an  appearance  of  fertility  and  freshness  which 
could  only  be  produced  by  the  existence  of  a  per- 
manent stream,  and  promising  a  much  more  hos- 
pitable country,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  than 
any  they  had  seen  since  they  left  the  Marie. 

The  cliffs  of  the  river  gradually  became  lower 
as  the  party  advanced ;  they  crossed  the  land 
where  the  river  took  a  large  sweep,  and  by  so 
doing  lessened  their  labour ;  then  they  perceived 
that  they  were  standing  on  the  border  of  one 
stream  which  joined  another  ;  the  tributary  was  f-o 
much  overflown  that  large  trees  were  considerably 
immersed  in  it,  and  they  were  obliged  to  keep  at 
some  distance  as  they  proceeded,  to  avoid  the 
swamp,  in  some  parts  of  which  they  sank  till  the 
water  was  above  their  ankles.  This  was  refresh- 
ing enough  for  a  time,  but  it  was  not  good  for  a 
long  continuance,  or  for  sleeping ;  it  however  con- 
vinced Captain  Spencer  of  the  locality  of  the  rains, 
or  rather  that  rain  was  more  tardy  in  visiting  the 
arid  region  which  they  had  crosf^ed,  than  this  part 
of  the  country  ;  and  he  now  began  to  think  he 
should  not  reach  Adelaide  before  the  winter  ar- 
rived, for  he  was  obliged  to  tnin  to  the  north,  and 
thus  leave  the  settlement  behind  him.  It  became, 
therefore,  necessary  to  think  where  he  should  pa^^s 
the  winter,  for  it  would  be  impossible  to  gain  the 
ecuthern  settlements  anywhere,  and  he  mused  on 
the  possibility  of  u[i:iiniiig  catlcrn  Australia.     "So 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  291 

much  the  better  if  I  do  go  there,"  said  he  to  him- 
self; "  I  shall  be  longer  here,  but  I  shall  get  back 
to  Bombay  from  Sydney  sooner  than  elsewhere. 
At  all  events,  I  shall  now  be  obliged  to  stop,  for 
we  can  never  travel  through  the  floods  ;  and  what 
is  more,  I  shall  have  jungle-fever  worse  than  in 
India,  because  more  exposed."  The  faith  and 
trust  of  Captain  Spencer,  however,  was  now  equal 
to  any  difficulty ;  and  He  who  protects  those  "who 
travel  by  land  or  by  water,"  and  who  had  pre- 
served this  little  party  in  almost  a  miraculous 
manner,  watched  over  them  with  His  unceasing 
beneficence. 

The  wanderers  lost  sight  of  trees,  and  a  beauti 
ful  pasture  district  succeeded.  Here  Kinchela, 
on  looking  around  him,  seemed  to  revive  from  the 
subdued  state  into  which  he  had  fallen  since  the 
time  of  their  great  sufferings,  and  uttered  a  cry 
of  joy.  "Kinchela  knows  this  place,  Boccolo  !" 
he  exclaimed  ;  "  he  take  you  to  see  white  men,  far, 
far  away,"  and  he  started  at  a  pace  which  looked 
as  if  he  intended  to  traverse  the  whole  distance 
that  night.  He  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height, 
and  his  whip-cord  sinews  seemed  all  at  once  to 
regain  their  full  vigour.  They  came  upon  signs 
of  former  encampments  of  natives,  and  Kinchela 
examined  them  carefully,  muttering  several  names 
to  himself,  and  then  went  on  with  continued  con- 
fidence.   At  last  he  stopped,  as  if  a  sudden  thought 


292  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

had  struck  him,  and  said,  "  Boccolo,  me  take  you 
to  good  man,  where  you  stop  when  it  rains."  His 
master  nodded  assent,  and  felt  that  if  he  could 
gain  some  native  friendly  tribe,  he  might  be  able 
to  find  food  and  shelter  for  himself  and  his  com- 
panions as  long  as  was  necessary. 

The  water  had  been  stopped  by  a  large  dam 
thrown  across  it,  which  had  probably  caused  the 
flooding  below ;  they  crossed  it,  and  Kinchela 
stepped  on  as  guide,  with  an  air  of  confidence  in 
his  own  knowledge  of  their  locality.  They  were 
not  delayed  by  the  necessity  of  filling  their  skins 
or  cans,  which  now  travelled  empty  on  Tiger's 
sides,  and  they  had  a  store  of  eatables ;  they 
crossed  scrubs  of  Fusanus,  Hakea,  Acacia,  and 
other  plants,  and  trod  upon  a  conglomerate  soil, 
mingled  with  metallic  indications.  The  country 
was  here  and  there  beautifully  wooded,  and  ver- 
dant hills  were  near ;  they,  however,  kept  in  the 
plains  for  miles,  in  which  the  Gum-tree  alone 
seemed  to  take  up  its  abode ;  but  they  were  able 
to  push  forward  at  an  accelerated  pace,  on  account 
of  the  comparative  coolness  of  the  weather.  At 
last,  one  evening,  as  the  sun  was  declining,  they 
reached  what  Captain  Spencer  concluded  to  be  the 
main  river,  of  which  they  had  crossed  a  tributary. 
The  whole  scene  was  gilded  by  the  glorious  rays 
of  the  departing  luminary ;  beautiful  drooping 
trees  shaded  its  banks,  young  green  reeds   and 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  293 

grass  rejoiced  Tiger,  who,  as  soon  as  they  stopped 
for  the  night  and  was  unloaded,  plun^/jd  at  once 
into  a  rich  pasture,  of  which  the  juicj'  Sow-thistle 
and  Mallows  increased  the  value.  Tht.y  took  their 
station  close  to  a  hollow  Gum-tree,  l.ghted  their 
fire,  and  while  they  were  busy  with  their  prepara- 
tions for  a  stew,  the  painted  man  came  up,  laid 
opossums,  flag-roots,  and  pounded  griiss-seeds  at 
Captain  Spencer's  feet,  and  retired,  but  not  with- 
out casting  a  look  of  surprise  at  the  tin  can  on  the 
fire.  It  appeared  as  if  he  had  followed  them  on 
purpose  to  give  this  supply,  in  return  tor  saving 
the  nets  from  being  burned. 

The  next  morning  the  travellers  proceeded  along 
by  the  side  of  the  river,  and  found  a  kangaroo 
which  had  just  been  killed,  from  which  the  hunters 
nad  probably  fled  at  their  approach.  Kinchela 
would  have  taken  it  up,  but  his  master  prevented 
him,  telling  him,  as  on  a  former  occasion,  that  it 
did  not  belong  to  them ;  and  after  they  had  left  it 
behind  at  some  distance,  he  turned  his  head,  and 
perceived  several  of  the  natives  assembled  round 
the  kangaroo,  now  looking  at  it,  then  following 
them  with  their  eyes,  and  pointing  at  them  with 
much  gesticulation,  tossing  about  their  arms  like 
the  sails  of  a  windmill.  The  soil  now  consisted  of 
a  tenacious  clay ;  the  river  was  sluggish,  hardly 
filling  its  bed;  and  the  only  alteration  in  the  fea- 
tures of  the  country  were  several  ridges,  on  which 
25* 


294         AUSTRALIAN     "WANDERERS. 

Pine-trees  seemed  to  grow.  The  whole  scene  was 
extremely  picturesque  ;  beyond  the  flats  were  hills 
beautifully  wooded,  and  the  ground  was  tossed  up 
into  strange  and  confused  outlines.  Captain  Spen- 
cer lay  down  with  the  full  expectation  of  much 
greater  beauty  on  the  morrow ;  but  his  rest  was 
early  disturbed  by  a  loud,  rushing  noise,  and  sud- 
denly starting  up,  he  perceived  the  lazy,  insignifi- 
cant stream  converted  into  a  foaming,  impetuous 
river,  not  as  yet,  however,  reaching  the  level  of  its 
banks.  He  did  not  know  how  soon,  with  this  rapid 
increase,  it  might  pass  even  beyond  them ;  and 
fearing  they  were  too  near,  he  awoke  his  com- 
panions, collected  all  he  had,  and  moved  on.  As 
they  left  the  river,  the  country  was  not  equally 
rich,  and  they  met  with  Salsola,  Atriplex,  and  other 
sorts  of  scrub,  only  now  and  then  seeing  a  scrub 
of  much  beauty,  which  had  not  before  made  its 
appearance.  On  a  sudden  Gip,  who  was  before, 
stopped  short,  looked  at  her  master  as  she  lifted 
one  of  her  paws,  and  then  she  went  round  a  large 
nest  made  of  sticks,  with  her  nose  and  eyes  exam- 
ining every  part.  She  began  to  demolish  it,  which 
caused  its  frightened  inhabitants  to  rush  out,  to 
whom  of  course  she  gave  chase,  and  her  master 
went  close  up  tc  look  at  the  structure.  The  sticks 
varied  in  length  from  three  inches  to  three  feet, 
and  in  thickness  from  a  quill  to  that  of  a  large  fin- 
ger.    They  were  so  systematically  arranged,  that 


AUSTRALIAN-    Vv'  A  N  D  E  R  E  R  S  .  2&5 

it  was  ciiiiicuh  lo  pull  tlieiu  asunder;  the  whole 
uest  was  four  fci  in  d"i;!;aeter  tit  the  base,  and 
three  feet  higli,  lookiug  like  a  great  bee-hive.  It 
had  five  enti'ances  at  the  bottom,  nearly  equi-dis- 
tant  from  each  other,  with  passages  from  them, 
leading  to  a  central  hole  in  the  ground,  in  which 
stores  of  food  were  kept.  There  were  two  beds 
of  grass  in  the  centre,  in  which  were  some  very 
pretty  and  tiny  young  Rats  ;  and  passages  from 
these  interior  nests  ran  diagonally  to  the  ground, 
or  rather  stick  flooring  of  the  principal  nest,  and 
they  communicated  with  each  other.  Gip  brought 
in  one  of  tlie  grown-up  owners,*  which  measured 
six  inches  from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  tail ;  its 
fur  was  light  brown  in  colour,  of  a  fine,  soft  tex- 
ture, and  the  hind  feet  were  very  large  in  propor- 
tion to  those  in  front.  It  quite  grieved  the  Eng- 
lishman to  have  disturbed  so  clever  and  pretty  a 
building,  and,  in  his  vexation,  he  suffered  Kinchela 
and  Gip  to  eat  the  rat ;  but  he  prevented  the  dog 
from  destroying  any  more  of  the  skilful  architects. 
The  weather  had  now  become  positively  cold, 
and  Kinchela  so  far  conquered  his  fear  of  Tiger  as 
to  creep  up  clo.-c  to  liim  at  night ;  and  in  the  day 
he  appeared  to  be  very  alert,  Avith  a  cont^tant  ex- 
pectation of  something,  the  nature  of  which  he 
would  not  comuiunicatc.  The  storms  became  more 
frequent,  and  the  ground  was  constantly  wet  to  lie 

*  Bandicoot,  or  llus-conditor. 


C96  ACSTRALIA^     WANDERERS. 

upon,  SO  that  Captain  Spencer  seriously  thought, 
if  he  did  not  speedily  find  some  natural  shelter,  he 
would  dig  a  cave  in  one  of  the  hills  or  banks  of 
the  vicinity,  where  he  could  remain  till  the  worst 
of  the  winter  was  over  ;  but  it  was  necessary  to 
be  very  careful  in  choosing  a  site  where  they  should 
meet  with  the  principal  necessaries  of  existence. 
They  came  to  a  low  range  of  heights  covered  with 
grass,  and  near  them  was  a  belt  of  Gum-trees, 
stretching  across  the  country  in  an  oblique  direc- 
tion, and  he  thought  they  might  contrive  a  dwel- 
ling there,  which  should  be  partially  formed  of 
their  boughs.  He  mounted  these  hills  to  recon- 
noitre with  his  glass,  and  there  he  found  that  the 
river  lay  beyond  ;  and  between  it  and  some  banks, 
which  protected  them  from  inundation,  was  a  large 
assemblage  of  huts,  with  their  native  owners. 

The  women  shrieked  at  the  appearance  of  the 
travellers,  and  the  men  stood  for  a  moment  as  if 
paralyzed  with  astonishment ;  they  awoke  from 
this,  apparently  to  consult  with  each  other  on  the 
reception  which  was  to  be  given  to  the  strangers. 
Many  raised  their  spears,  but  Captain  Spencer 
quickly  cut  a  branch  from  a  low  bush  close  by,  and 
held  it  up  as  a  token  of  peace,  and  tliis  seemed  to 
induce  them  at  least  to  pause.  Kinchela  stood 
with  his  hand  over  his  eyes,  anxiously  surveying 
one  of  the  groups,  and,  after  a  minute's  hesitation, 
he  witi    a  cry  of  joy  bounded  down  the  hill,  and 


A  n  S  T  II  A  L  r  A  N      W  A  N  D  K  R  E  R  S  .  297 

exclaimipg  in  the  language  of  these  people,  dashed 
through  the  multitude.  He  was  soon  recognized, 
and  all  was  tumult  and  curiosity.  Captain  Spen- 
cer quietly  stood  and  awaited  the  issue,  with  Tiger, 
Gip,  and  Charlie ;  and  then  he  saw  those  around 
Kinchela  make  way  for  one  of  their  number,  who 
came  out  of  a  hut ;  he  imd  Kinchela  sat  down  di- 
rectly opposite  to  each  other,  laid  their  hands  upon 
each  other's  shoulders,  leaned  their  heads  upon 
each  other's  breasts,  and  cried  violently,  while  the 
other  natives  stood  by  in  silence.  This  continued 
for  a  short  time,  then  the  two  rose,  and  Kinchela 
spoke  for  some  time.  His  master  gathered  from 
his  gestures  that  he  was  telling  the  history  of  their 
first  and  second  meeting,  for  he  pointed  to  his  arm, 
then  to  his  foot,  and  acted  the  scene  of  finding  him 
almost  dead  from  hunger  and  thirst ;  then  he 
pointed  towards  the  stony  desert,  discoursed  about 
Tiger,  at  whom  they  looked  very  solemn,  nor  did 
he  forget  the  dog  and  the  bird,  and  then  there  was 
a  general  consultation.  As  all  this  was  going  on, 
some  persons  arrived  from  the  west,  whom  Captain 
Spencer  recognized  as  those  to  whom  the  nets  had 
belonged,  and  also  the  painted  native  to  whom  he 
had  given  the  fishes.  They  took  their  part,  ear- 
nestly made  a  speech,  and  the  result  was  a  sort  of 
deputation  from  the  tribe,  preceded  by  Kinchela, 
through  whom,  as  interpreter,  they  asked  him  to 
Btay  among  them  during  the  bad  weather.     They 


298        AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

added,  that  thov  would  build  a  house  for  hini  and 
his  companions  ;  then  pointing  to  their  wives,  said 
thej  should  cook  and  provide  for  his  support ;  and 
as  he  had  taken  so  much  care  of  their  friend  Kin- 
chela,  who  had  once  lived  a  long  time  with  them, 
they  would  take  care  of  him,  till  the  rains  and 
storms  were  over  ;  after  which  they  would  tell  him 
which  was  the  shortest  way  to  get  back  to  "  white 
fellows," 

There  was  but  little  time  for  consideration,  and 
making  up  his  mind  immediately,  Captain  Spencer 
consented  to  the  proposal,  provided  the  house  were 
big  enough  for  Tiger  also,  and  that  they  would 
take  as  much  care  of  his  companions  as  himself. 
They  readily  assented,  and  his  compliance  put 
them  all  in  motion  ;  they  begged  him  to  rest  where 
he  Avas  for  a  time,  they  brought  him  some  food  as 
an  earnest  of  their  intentions,  told  him  that  as  he 
had  not  taken  the  kangaroo  some  of  them  had 
killed,  they  would  now  give  him  some  ;  and  then 
thej>  set  to  work  upon  his  habitation.  They  re- 
paired to  the  Gum-trees  in  the  neighbourhood,  cut 
some  branches  from  them  with  their  stone  toma- 
hawks, chopped  them  into  logs,  piled  the  logs  one 
upon  another  with  much  skill,  covered  the  pile  with 
grass,  the  grass  with  large  pieces  of  bark,  and  so 
rendered  the  hut  impervious  to  rain.  They  said 
they  had  not  till  now  iiad  rain  for  a  very  long  time, 
and  they  should  have. plenty,  which  was  the  first 


AUSTRAIilAN     WANDERERS.  299 

mtimation  Captain  Spencer  had  of  the  irregularity 
of  the  seasons  in  that  part  of  Australia  ;  for  it  ap- 
peared to  him,  as  fai-  as  he  could  understand  from 
Kinchela's  interpretation,  that  they  had  not  had 
any  of  consequence  for  two  years. 

The  house  was  round  in  shape,  higher  than  any 
of  the  others,  so  that  even  Tiger  could  stand  up- 
right in  it,  and  the  entrance  was  so  proportioned 
as  to  require  but  little  stooping.  The  ground  in- 
side was  perfectly  smooth,  all  the  stumps  and 
stones  having  been  removed ;  and  in  one  corner 
was  a  bed  of  dry  leaves  and  grass,  to  which  Tiger 
thought  he  had  as  much  right  as  his  master,  and 
often  contrived  to  push  him  off,  and  take  posses- 
sion during  the  night.  Kinchela  was  to  sleep  at 
the  entrance,  and  Gip  and  Charlie  in  their  usual 
places.  It  was  erected  at  some  distance  from  all 
the  others  ;  and,  when  finished,  at  night  the  people 
led  him  with  songs  to  it,  by  the  back  of  their  own 
encampment ;  and  Kinchela  requested  that  he 
would  always  go  and  return  that  way,  and  not  pass 
through  the  village.  The  people  had  not  taken  as 
much  pains  with  tlieir  own  habitations,  which  pre- 
sented a  variety  of  forms,  some  being  only  semi- 
circular, others  large  enough  for  two  families,  with 
several  entrances.  Some  of  the  single  men  had 
joined  together  in  making  a  hut  for  themselves,  in 
parties  of  eight ;  they  said  plenty  of  people  were 
come,  and  many  more  would  come,  for  tribes  united 


300  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

when  the  river  overflowed  its  banks,  in  order  to 
catch  fish,  and  they  would  come  back  to  their 
old  houses,  which  were  made  to  last  a  long  time. 
When  they  wanted  them  for  a  little  time,  they 
made  them  as  the  traveller  had  seen  in  other  parts ; 
and  from  what  he  now  heard,  he  felt  convinced  that 
he  must  have  passed  mjfny  encampments  without 
knowing  of  their  existence,  so  artfully  were  they 
concealed  with  bushes,  grass,  and  boughs,  and 
which  were  deserted  in  consequence  of  his  ap- 
proach. 

The  evening  meal  over,  Kinchela  told  his  master 
that  "Boccolos  wanted  to  see  him."  By  the  word 
Boccolos,  Captain  Spencer  supposed  he  meant  the 
chiefs  of  the  tribe ;  he  afterwards  learned  that 
they  have  no  chiefs,  but  merely  pay  unusual  re- 
spect to  those  who  have  shown  superiority  in  any 
way ;  even  personal  stature  and  strength  securing 
for  the  owners  a  sort  of  weight  in  matters  of  im- 
portance, which  did  not  amount  to  authority.  The 
two  men  came,  fiither  and  son,  who  were  of  sedate 
appearance,  the  latter  being  the  painted  man  whom 
tlie  travellers  had  met,  and  who  he  now  learned 
had  not  equipped  himself  for  war,  but  for  fetching 
a  new  wife  ;  for  "black  fellows  liked  to  look  hand- 
some before  their'  gins."  He  had  been  to  Ade- 
laide, where  he  had  picked  up  a  few  words  of 
English ;  but  Kinchela  was  now  such  an  adept, 
and  Captain  Spencer  had  learned  so  many  words 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  801 

of  him,  that  between  the  interpretation  of  his  ser- 
vant, and  his  own  knowledge,  he  contrived  always 
to  understand  these  two  men,  who  became  his  prin- 
cipal friends  and   paid  him  frequent  visits.     On 
this  occasion  they  had   come  to  say,  that  as  the 
rain  would  soon  be  here,  when  they  could  not  so 
well  leave,  they  would  now  make  a  Corobbery  for 
his  sake,  and  they  must  prepare  for  it ;  they  hoped 
he  would    excuse  their  going  out  to  hunt  Emus 
and  Kangaroos  for  him,  but  the  women  should  get 
all  that  was  necessary.     The  guest   of  course  ac- 
knowledged the  honour  in  a  becoming  manner,  and 
the  natives  would  have  gone  away,  but  he  asked 
them  to  stay  and  talk  to  him  ;  they  complied,  but 
begged  to  be  seated  far  from  Tiger,  for  they  owned 
that  they  thought  the  big  dog  was  a  sorcerer,  and 
they  hoped  he  would  not  work  them  any  harm  ; 
they  had  some  very  great  sorcerers  in  their  tribe, 
but    they   looked   upon   Tiger   as    still    greater. 
Captain  Spencer  gravely  promised,  that,  as  Tiger 
always  minded  what  he  said,  he  would  takfe  care 
that  they  should  be  safe  from  him.     He  could,  by 
the  light  of  the  fire  outside  the  hut,  near  which 
they  sat,  distinguish  their  countenances ;  and  he 
could  not  but  remark  that  they  were  like  all  others 
whom  he  had  seen,  barring  the  trifling  differences 
which  exist  between  man  and  man ;  each  had  lost 
two  front  teeth,  but  the  front  teeth  which  were  left 
and  the  eye-teeth  were  of  the  same  shape.     The 
26 


302  AUSTKALIAN     WANDEREKS. 

old  man,  whose  name  was  Warrup,  had  a  fish  bone 
through  his  nose  ;  their  movements  were  graceful ; 
their  manners  easy,  almost  polished ;  and  the  son, 
who  was  called  Ugat,  proud  of  his  English,  fre- 
quently smiled  and  said,  "  Very  good,  very  good;" 
which,  however,  caught  Charlie's  ear,  who  repeated 
it  inside  the  hut,  adding  to  it  his  heartiest  "  Ha! 
ha  !  ha  !"  This  unexpected  sound  evidently  made 
both  the  men  uncomfortable ;  and  Warrup  asked 
Kinchela  in  a  low  tone,  if  the  white  fellow  had 
another  sorcerer  with  him,  or  whether  it  was  the 
big  dog  which  had  spoken.  Captain  Spencer  com- 
prehended the  inquiry,  and  took  that  opportunity 
of  explaining  the  powers  of  his  bird ;  and  told  them 
they  possessed  many  in  their  country  which  might 
be  taught  to  speak  in  the  same  manner.  They 
seemed  better  satisfied  after  this,  and  added, 
"that  they  knew  birds  already  which  would  mock 
everything  they  said ;  and  that  one  nearer  to 
where  white  man  lived  always  laughed  very 
much.*'* 

The  heads  of  these  men  were  well  developed, 
and  the  proportions  of  the  brain  apparently  good  ; 
their  thick  necks  betokened  great  strength ;  their 
feet  and  hands  were  small  and  well-made,  and  their 
heels  were  like  those  of  Europeans ;  but  the  calves 
of  their  legs  were  very  small,  as  in  all  others,  ex- 
cept a  very  few  instances.     Their    carriage  was 

*  The  laughing  Jackass. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  SO'A 

npriglit  and  dignified,  and  their  chests  wide,  which, 
with  their  backs,"  were  covered  Avith  thick  scars. 
Captain  Spencer  asked  them  how  they  procured 
the  paint  with  which  they  decorated  themselves ;  and 
they  replied  that  most  of  it  was  dug  from  the  earth, 
and  used  either  raw  or  baked ;  and  that  to  pro- 
duce a  bright  red,  they  mixed  a  yellow  clay  with 
red  ochre,  both  of  which  had  passed  through  the 
fire ;  that  they  also  collected  yellow  from  flowers, 
and  a  fungus  ;  that  the  black  was  finely-powdered 
charcoal;  the  blue  was  extracted  from  a  plant; 
that  the  earths  were  not  to  be  found  everywhere, 
but  they  bartered  with  other  natives  for  it.  Tho 
white  was  always  to  be  had,  it  being  the  pipe-clay 
which  Captain  Spencer  had  so  frequently  seen 
throughout  the  country.  They  added  that  the 
ground  on  which  the  village  stood  was  their  own, 
and  had  always  been  so  since  it  was  made,  and 
that  each  tribe  in  every  part  had  its  peculiar  hunt- 
ing-grounds, though  disputes  often  arose  about  the 
boundaries,  and  led  to  war.  When  white  men, 
however,  appeared,  they  did  not  mind  these  boun- 
daries, and  took  all,  drove  kangaroos  away,  and 
by  and  by  they  should  all  starve.  The  conversa- 
tion was  ended  by  Kinchela  falling  fast  asleep ; 
and  the  men  arose,  saying,  "  that  a  friendly  tribe 
had  sent  them  some  long,  narrovf  nets,  made  of 
rushes,  and  had  taken  them  away  tliat  morning; 
therefore  they  supposed  they  would  come  to-mor 


301         AUSTRALIAN      WAKDERERS. 

row,  and  they  hoped  the  Englishman  would  witness 
then-  arrival." 

The  next  morning  Captain  Spencer  went  with 
Gip  and  Tiger  to  have  a  bathe  in  the  river ;  and 
on  his  return,  he  left  the  latter  to  feed  on  the 
delicious  grass  which  had  rapidly  sprung  up  since 
the  first  rains,  and  which  looked  exactly  like 
bearded  wheat.  In  a  short  time  he  saw  men, 
women,  and  children  gathered  round  him,  looking 
at  him  with  curiosity  and  awe.  He  was  afraid 
that  he  would  undo  any  favourable  impression  he 
might  otherwise  make,  if  he  should  take  it  into  hia 
head  to  dance  on  his  hind  legs  into  the  midst  of 
them  ;  and  he  therefore  called  out  to  him,  "  Quiet, 
good  horse."  .Tiger  put  up  his  pretty  head  and 
neighed  a  reply,  at  the  same  time  whisking  his 
long  white  tail.  This,  however,  was  enough  ;  they 
instantly  took  to  their  heels,  and  many  of  them 
with  naore  haste  than  good  speed ;  so  that  they 
tripped  each  other  up,  and  rolled  away  like  so 
many  barrels,  which  made  Captain  Spencer  shout 
with  laughter.  They  were  never  completely  re- 
conciled to  the  big  dog ;  though  some  degree  of 
alarm  subsided  on  further  acquaintance.  When 
he  himself  galloped  off  on  Tiger's  back,  they  be- 
lieved him  to  be  a  sorcerer  of  unlimited  power. 

The  oldest  and  the  principal  men  seated  them- 
selves cross-legged  to  receive  their  friends,  who 
had  brought  some  strangers  with  them ;  they  were 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.         305 

shown,  or,  as  would  bo  said  in  civilized  life,  intro- 
duced, with  an  account  of  their  birth  and  country ; 
after  which  all  the  males  of  the  two  tribes  saluted 
each  other  by  putting  their  hands  on  each  other's 
shoulders,  and  bending  their  heads  forwards,  so  as 
to  touch  each  other's  breasts.  When,  however,  as  in 
the  case  of  Kinchela,  communication  was  made  of 
deaths  which  had  occurred  since  they  last  met, 
they  wept  violently,  and  sitting  down,  went 
through  the  same  forms  as  with  him.  The  females 
rnnaincd  behind,  laden  with  bags,  baskets,  fire- 
sticks,  mats,  and  children ;  they  were  silent ;  but 
those  of  the  river  tribe  came  and  led  them  away 
to  their  huts,  where  there  was  plenty  of  talking, 
both  loud  and  fast,  although  their  voices  were  soft. 
Their  gossiping  continued  the  greater  part  of  the 
night ;  and  according  to  Kinchela's  account,  they 
told  all  about  one  another;  and  probably  a  little 
scandal  went  forward.  These  people  came  from 
the  interior  hills;  the  men  carried  all  their  war- 
like weapons,  but  they  were  feeble  and  diminutive. 
To  Captain  Spencer's  astonishment,  while  he  was 
standing  at  the  door  of  his  hut  that  same  after- 
noon, a  procession  of  the  females  of  the  new  tribe, 
headed  by  two  women,  came  towards  him.  Tears 
were  streaming  down  the  cheeks  of  both  ;  and  the 
eldest,  walking  close  up  to  him,  said,  "  Yes,  yes, 
it  is  he;"  for  Kinchela  was  close  within  the  hut, 
and  told  him  what  they  meant ;  then   she  threw 


306        AUSTRALIAN     W/NDERER8. 

her  arms  round  the  Englislunan's  body,  and  rested 
her  head  upon  his  breast ;  she  was  old,  ugly,  and 
filthy ;  and  the  other,  nearly  as  dirty,  knelt  cry- 
ing at  his  feet.  The  first  proceeded  to  kiss  him  on 
each  cheek,  wept  again,  and  called  him  the  ghost 
of  her  son,  who  had  been  killed  by  the  thrust  of  a 
spear.  Even  with  the  aid  of  Kinchela's  explana- 
tions, Captain  Spencer  felt  quite  bewildered,  and 
would  rather  have  encountered  an  attack  of  a  host 
of  waddies ;  then  came  a  young  woman,  who  de- 
clared she  was  his  sister ;  and  she  was  followed 
by  the  whole  number,  who  uttered  exclamations 
of  delight ;  father,  brother,  then  encircled  him 
with  their  arms,  put  their  right  hand  against 
his  right  knee,  and  their  breasts  against  his. 
"  A  goodly  tribe  of  relations  !"  thought  he,  as 
he  gravely  bore  this  infliction ;  the  children 
were  then  brought  to  him ;  but  they  at  first 
kicked  and  screamed  with  fright  at  the  white  man ; 
but  when  they  saw  that  he  received  them  kindly, 
there  was  a  strife  between  them  who  should  reach 
him  first ;  and  two  or  three  put  their  fingers  in 
their  mouths,  and  then  rubbed  his  skin  with  them, 
to  see  if  he  were  painted.  After  this  ceremony 
was  ended,  and  the  newly-claimed  had  promised  to 
stay  a  little  tiu)e  among  his  self-elected  relatives, 
he  asked  Kinchela  for  further  explanation  ;  and 
the  man  told  him  that  black  fellows  believed  the 
spirits  of  their  dead  went  into  the  bodies  of  white 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        307 

men,  and  often  returned  to  their  own  country,  be- 
cause they  loved  it  so  much ;  and  that  they  knew 
them  by  the  likeness  which  they  always  retained 
to  their  former  selves.  "  Very  flattering,"  thought 
Captain  Spencer,  who  was  by  no  means  uncon- 
scious of  his  large  share  of  personal  beauty. 
"  Then  how  is  it,"  said  he  to  his  man,  "  that  these 
returned  spirits  do  not  also  know  their  relations  ?" 
Kin  chela  said  "he  could  not  tell  that,  but  this  ignor- 
ance always  caused  great  surprise ;"  he  added, 
that  some  believed  all  black  fellows,  when  they 
died,  went  up  to  the  clouds,  where  they  had  plenty 
to  eat  and  drink ;  in  which  state  they  were  often 
let  down  again  by  a  rope  ;  and  his  own  brother 
had  returned  in  that  manner. 

The  whole  of  the  next  day  the  natives  were 
busy  preparing  for  the  Oorobbery  in  the  evening, 
by  making  up  numerous  cockatoo  and  emu  feathers, 
and  painting  themselves  with  all  their  colours. 
The  women  rolled  up  some  kangaroo-skins  as 
tightly  as  possible,  which  they  beat  with  their 
hands,  till  they  sounded  like  drums ;  others  beat 
flat  sticks  together ;  in  fact,  all  the  music  was  per- 
formed by  them,  and  would  have  been  insupport- 
able had  it  not  been  for  the  admirable  time  which 
they  kept.  They  in  a  very  few  instances  shared 
the  dances  of  the  men  ;  but  they  had  some  among 
themselves,  from  which  the  men  were  excluded. 

The  Corobbery  began  by  imitations  of  the  sounds 


308         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

and  actions  of  different  animals,  especially  the 
kangaroo,  which  they  pretended  to  chase  ;  they 
then  went  through  various  evolutions  with  their 
spears  and  shields,  and  emu  feathers  on  their 
heads ;  then  they  performed  a  series  of  the  most 
intricate  figures  by  way  of  dancing,  holding  their 
waddies,  or  clubs,  and  boughs  of  trees.  On  this 
occasion  the  women  danced  at  the  corners,  changed 
places  often,  by  passing  at  the  back  of  the  large 
group,  and  frequently  uttering  the  most  abomin- 
able yells,  which  were  most  distressing  to  their 
guest,  after  the  long  comparative  solitude  to  which 
he  had  of  late  been  accustomed.  Tiger  peeped 
out  to  see  what  was  the  matter ;  Charlie  said, 
"What  a  row!"  and  returned  into  the  hut  to 
sleep  ;  while  Gipsy,  although  in  her  master's  arms, 
barked  furiously.  Even  if  quieted  for  a  time,  she 
burst  forth  again ;  and  Captain  Spencer  assured 
his  entertainers  this  was  a  mark  of  her  approba- 
tion. The  effect  of  this  dance  could  never  be  for- 
gotten, heightened  as  it  was  by  an  immense  fire, 
which  being  constantly  fed  with  fresh  boughs,  sent 
forth  incessant  flames.  The  logs  of  some  were 
covered  with  broad  white  stripes ;  and  they  had  a 
peculiar  method  of  shaking  them,  which  made 
them  appear  as  if  they  were  constantly  turning 
round;  others  had  boughs  tied  upon  their  legs; 
and,  after  dancing  some  time,  suddenly  stopped, 
stamping  their  feet  v.ith  loud  grunts,  and  rustling 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.         309 

Df  the  boughs ;  then  they  would  pause  suddenly 
with  a  deep  guttural  exclamation,  and  again  start 
off,  or  drop  all  at  once  from  a  standing  to  a  squat- 
ting posture,  and  hop  away  with  outstretched  arms 
and  legs.  The  full  dress  of  the  females  w^as  an 
opossum-cloak,  a  band  of  white  swan-down  round 
the  head,  and  a  bunch  of  cockatoo  feathers  iu 
front ;  their  movements  were  not  always  as  decor- 
ous as  those  of  the  men,  and  long  before  the  Co- 
robbery  was  ended,  the  person  in  whose  honour  it 
was  performed  was  heartily  weary  of  the  whole 
scene  ;  and  he  heard  with  dismay  that,  on  the  en- 
suing day,  the  recently-arrived  tribe  were  anxious 
to  display  their  accomplishments  to  the  stranger, 
with  whom  they  fancied  themselves  connected.  It 
was  necessary  to  conceal  his  annoyance,  hoAvever, 
if  he  would  not  disturb  the  friendly  feelings  now 
existing. 

The  hill-tribe  were  adorned  much  in  the  same 
style  as  their  friends  ;  but  besides  feathers  on  their 
heads,  they  carried  them  in  their  hands,  tied  on  to 
the  top  of  short  sticks,  and  the  women  danced  in 
a  line  parallel  to  that  of  the  men.  After  various 
evolutions,  they  advanced  with  a  man  in  the  centre, 
who  bore  a  rude  representation  of  a  human  figure 
at  the  top  ^ of  a  pole,  formed  of  grass  and  reeds, 
covered  with  kangaroo-skins,  painted  all  over  with 
small  white  circles,  the  head  made  of  feathers,  and 
the   arms  represented  by  sticks.     After   dancing 


310  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

with  this  they  reared,  and  again  advanced,  with 
two  standards,  each  composed  of  a  pole,  on  which 
nine  branches  were  left.  At  the  end  of  the  branches 
was  a  plume  of  hawk,  owl,  or  emu  feathers,  tied 
on  with  white  swan-down,  or  white  painted  bark, 
which  was  continued  down  the  pole.  These  re- 
treated, then  many  came  forth  with  their  spears, 
danced  for  some  time,  came  closer  to  their  friends, 
who  sprang  up  to  meet  them,  stuck  two  or  three 
in  the  shoulders,  and  the  ceremonies  were  ended. 
Tired  and  heated,  Captain  Spencer  retired  to  his 
hut,  but  not  to  sleep,  for  he  was  kept  awake  by 
the  songs  which  were  sung  around  him ;  and,  in 
fact,  in  honour  of  him,  these  people  having  impro- 
visatory powers.  The  songs  were  continued  far 
into  the  night ;  one  was  a  very  sad  lament,  and 
Kinchela  afterwards  told  him  they  were  mourning 
for  the  dead  ;  another,  slow  and  wild,  was  concern- 
ing a  sorcerer ;  and  there  were  comic  dialogues, 
which  created  great  laughter. 

During  the  heavy  rains  which  ensued,  the  prin- 
cipal amusement  of  the  traveller  was  the  conver- 
sation of  Warrup  or  Ugat.  They  delighted  in 
speaking  of  themselves  and  their  customs,  did  not 
take  any  interest  in  descriptions  of  civilized  com- 
munities ;  but  when  Captain  Spencer  told  them 
of  his  own  black  men  in  India,  they  were  much 
pleased.  It  was  difficult  to  come  to  any  conclusion 
concerning  their  religious  belief ;  but,  as  far  as  he 


AirSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  311 

could  understand,  they  were  aware  of  the  soul 
being  distinct  from  the  body ;  which  souls,  some 
believed,  lived  in  trees  all  day,  came  down  at  night 
to  eat  caterpillars  and  animals,  but  not  vegetable 
food,  and  remained  the  size  of  a  boy  eight  years 
old.  Their  notions  of  creation  were  equally  vague  ; 
they  said  that  a  father  and  three  male  children 
lived  in  the  clouds ;  the  father,  very  powerful,  who 
made  the  world,  fixed  names  to  everything,  put 
the  tribes  into  their  own  districts,  gave  them  their 
languages,  and  brought  them  from  some  place  in 
the  east,  over  the  water,  and  that  souls  go  to  live 
with  these  four.  These  natives  thought  that  there 
was  a  large  serpent,  which  lived  in  high,  rocky 
mountains,  and  which  made  all  things  by  one  stroke 
of  its  tail.  They  declared  that  every  body  believed 
in  an  evil  spirit,  which  haunts  dark  caverns,  wells, 
and  gloomy  plains ;  that  its  name  is  Jinga,  and 
that  they  are  afraid  of  him  at  night. 

The  gun  of  Captain  Spencer  was  a  constant 
source  of  apprehension,  and  kept  up  the  notion 
of  his  being  a  sorcerer-  Having  been  told  by 
Kinchela  that  he  knelt  and  prayed  every  day  to 
the  Great  Spirit  (which  his  master  had  said  to 
him),  they  thought  he  was  then  working  his  spells. 
His  relations  treated  him  with  great  deference. 
and  most  particularly  attended  to  all  his  require- 
ments ;  generally  speaking,  however,  he  and  Kin- 
chela  procured  their  own  provisions.     Gipsy  would 


312  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

have  led  a  happy  life,  if  the  dogs  of  the  camp  had 
not  persecuted  her,  either  with  tluir  eomity  or 
their  friendship ;  but  at  last  her  master  invented 
a  collar  of  kangaroo-skin,  into  which  he  inserted 
some  of  the  strong  thorns  of  the  Acacia,  and  this, 
with  her  furious  barking  and  sharp  bites,  after  a 
while,  kept  them  away,  for  they  were  great  cow- 
ards. Charlie  was  perfectly  independent ;  but  he 
would  often  electrify  Kinchela  as  he  flew  over  the 
village,  by  saying,  "  I  see  you,  Kinchela  ;"  and 
the  man  began  to  believe  that  the  bird  was  ac- 
quainted with  all  his  actions. 

The  new  sorts  of  food  brought  to  Captain  Spen- 
cer by  his  friends  were  different  species  of  fungi, 
and  emu  eggs,  which,  however,  ho  could  not  eat, 
as  they,  and  those  of  the  Leipoa,  were  stale ;  the 
natives  themselves  cared  but  little  in  >vliat  condi- 
tion an   egg  might  be,  they  ate  it  all  the  same. 
They  brought  hira  an  abundance  of  small  animals 
not  much  larger  than  mice,*  which  burroAv  in  the 
Band,  and  which  they  say  will  go  for  months  with- 
out water.     They  had  beautiful,  full  black  eyes, 
their  long  tail  had  a  brush  at  the  end,  their  fur 
was  light  red  in  colour,  and  they  generally  hopped 
on  their  hind  legs,  and  carried  their  tail  horizon- 
tally.    Gip    most  delighted  in   moths,  and    grew 
D[uite  fat.     Little  or  no  hunting   took  place,  be- 
cause there  was  a  general  feeling  that   the  rivei 

*  Ilapalotus  Jlitchellii. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  S13 

would  suddenly  rise  to  a  great  height,  and  then 
every  one  must  be  ready.  Preparations,  there- 
fore, were  constantly  making  for  fishing  and  catch- 
ing wild  fowl,  and  Captain  Spencer  watched  their 
rude  manufactures  with  interest.  They  did  not, 
however,  show  much  ingenuity ;  and  the  various 
hard  woods  of  the  country  were  their  best  re- 
sources in  the  way  of  tools.  They  made  a  cement 
with  resin,  gum,  and  wax.  In  forming  a  canoe, 
they  choose  a  large  Gum-tree  wdiich  has  a  protu- 
berance in  the  bark,  open  it  with  their  tomahawks, 
strip  the  bark  off  very  easily  with  a  stone  in  large 
pieces,  bind  it  into  the  form  of  a  canoe,  and  ^top 
up  the  ends  with  clay.  This  was  their  only  boat, 
and  yet,  fragile  as  it  was,  in  it  they  contrived  to 
place  a  fire,  and  fish  for  hours.  Their  netting- 
needles  were  only  a  pointed  stick  like  a  pencil, 
round  which  the  string  was  wound,  and  they  did 
not  use  any  mesh.  The  strongest  nets  were  made 
of  the  tendons  of  animals,  of  opossum  fur,  spun 
with  or  without  fibrous  plants  ;  mallows,  grass,  and 
rushes,  supplied  materials  for  mats  and  baskets, 
well-rubbed  skins  for  bags ;  and  they  had  rude 
wooden  shovels ;  they  cut  their  food  with  flint 
fastened  into  sticks,  and  their  teeth  and  great  toes 
were  serviceable  to  them  in  all  operations.  The 
drinking-cups  of  some  of  the  tribes  were  the  skulla 
of  those  whom  they  had  best  loved. 
27 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Riv3r  overflows— Different  modes  of  fishing— Cooking — Frcgs— 
•  Cray-flsh—Tortoiscs-Birds— Wind— Hatchet  missing,  and  re- 
Btorod — Description  of  sorcerers — Sorcerers  come  to  cure  a  boy 
— Restrictions  concerning  food — Native  laws  and  customs — Wo- 
meu — Quarrel  and  combat — Boomerang — Large  Kangaroo  hunt 
— Tribe  goes  away  and  steals  a  young  woman — Preparations  for 
war — War-song — Departure  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy — Captain 
Spencer  follows — Encounter  of  the  tribes — Captain  Spencer  fires, 
frightens,  and  pursues  the  guilty  tribe — The  young  woman  found 
bleeding  to  death— Taken  homo  to  be  eaten — Captain  Spencer 
goes  awaj. 

At  length  the  important  moment  arrived :  the 
river  was  suddenly  converted  into  a  broad  sheet 
of  water,  evidently  the  consequence  of  a  rush 
from  higher  ground ;  and  the  noise  of  its  foaming 
and  tumbling  was  accompanied  by  the  clamours  of 
the  natives.  Other  tribes  had  joined  them,  and 
all  was  bustle  and  turmoil.  They  suffered  the  first 
violence  to  abate,  then  they  formed  weirs  with 
mats  and  nets  across  convenient  places  ;  and  tak- 
ing a  quantity  of  water  in  their  mouths,  before 
they  placed  the  weirs,  they  squirted  it  upon  them 
just  before  setting,  to  ensure  luck.  Some  then 
took  small  nets  in  their  hands,  and  walking  into 
the  inundated  parts,  dexterously  placed  them  un- 
der the  fishes,  thus  securing  their  prey,  and  biting 
(314) 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  815 

the  fish  to  kill  it,  threw  it  to  their  -wives.  Some 
of  the  latter,  however,  were  ulso  in  the  water, 
groping  and  catching  the  fishes  with  their  hands. 
Captain  Spencer  joined  the  spearing  party,  for  he 
had  practised  much  during  his  travels,  and  become 
very  expert  with  this  weapon.  All  that  he  caught 
he  distributed  among  the  children,  which  made 
him  extremely  popular. 

In  a  few  days  the  water  subsided,  and  then  par- 
ties of  divers  were  formed,  who,  joining  in  a  line 
of  thirty  or  forty,  dipped  down  in  succession ;  but 
the  most  interesting  portion  of  the  fishery  was 
carried  on  at  night.  A  bed  of.  wet  bark  and  mud 
was  placed  in  the  bottom  of  a  canoe,  and  sticks 
of  resinous  wood,  sometimes  brought  from  a  great 
distance,  taken  on  board.  These  were  piled  upon 
the  wet  mud  in  the  shape  of  a  cone,  and  lighted 
m  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  in  which  were  two  men, 
the  one  to  attend  to  the  fire,  and  the  other  to  guide 
the  canoe,  and  to  fish  with  a  spear.  The  latter 
part  requires  great  skill,  as  the  canoe  is  so  un- 
steady. A  fish  rises,  the  spearman  strikes  it, 
drags  it  to  the  side,  leaps  into  the  river  and  secures 
his  prize,  which  is  thrown  into  the  canoe,  and  he 
follows,  in  order  to  make  a  fresh  capture.  Nothing 
can  be  more  picturesque  than  a  fleet  of  these 
canoes  ;  for  the  fires,  which  burn  with  a  peculiarly 
clear  flame,  light  up  the  whole  river,  and  disclose 
the  beautiful  drooping  trees  on  its  banks,  and  the 


316  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

dark  forms  of  the  nativOvS  in  graceful  attitudes, 
now  throwing  the  spear,  and  now  struggling  with 
their  prey  in  the  water.  The  Avomen  also  dive 
with  great  facility  and  strength,  and  go  in  large 
parties. 

Among  the  fishes  which  were  caught  there  was 
not  much  variety,  being  mostly  of  the  perch  or 
carp  kind.*  One,  however,  had  very  large  scales, 
on  each  of  which  was  a  pink  spot ;  and  another 
was  remarkable  for  some  singular  bones,  placed 
vertically  in  the  fish,  connecting  the  spines  of  the 
back-fin  to  the  back  itself,  and  in  shape  resem- 
bling small  pieces  of  tobacco-pipe.  Some  were  of 
enormous  size,  which  Captain  Spencer  felt  certain 
must  have  weighed  more  than  sixty  pounds.  Every 
other  day  was  a  day  of  feasting  ;  for  then  they  ate 
what  they  had  caught,  and  Kinchela  no  longer 
stood  in  the  light  of  a  solitary  instance  of  gluttony. 
They  never  seemed  to  think  of  laying  by  a  store  for 
future  support ;  they  said  they  always  had  plenty 
on  their  grounds  ;  and  their  visitor  then  tried  to 
influence  the  last-arrived  natives  from  the  interior, 
Avho  looked  weak,  emaciated,  and  melancholy ;  but 
he  did  not  meet  Avith  any  success.  He  tried  to 
enforce  his  precepts  by  example,  and  attempted  to 
dry  fish  outside  his  hut  for  his  future  journey ;  but 
they  were  invariably  stolen.  Some  of  these  fish 
irere  merely  thrown  upon  hot  ashes  and  broiled ; 

*  Gristes. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  317 

but  when  their  captors  desired  to  take  pains,  thev 
wrapped  them  in  a  piece  of  bark,  which  was  fokled 
like  the  paper  used  by  civilized  cooks  for  cutlets, 
and  fastened  with  grass  ;  they  were  then  slowly 
baked  in  the  ashes,  and  served  in  the  bark.  Among 
those  so  treated  were  some  which  resembled  white- 
bait, both  in  size  and  flavour. 

Fishes  were  not  the  only  edible  animals  caught 
in  or  by  the  side  of  the  river,  for  there  were  loads 
of  delicious  Frogs  and  excellent  Cray-fish  ;  which, 
when  the  floods  subsided,  came  out  of  holes  in  the 
ground.  The  women  waded  for  them  in  the  swamps 
in  long,  close  roAvs,  walking  backwards,  and  grop- 
ing Avith  their  hands.  The  moment  they  seized 
hold  of  one  of  the  Cray-fish,  they  tore  ofi"  its  large 
claws,  and  put  it  into  a  bag,  which  was  hung  round 
their  necks ;  they  called  them  Ukodko,*  and  cap- 
tured thousands.  The  rats  were  also  driven  out 
of  their  holes  by  the  floods,  and  captured  with 
equal  avidity,  but  were  not  equally  acceptable  to 
the  European. 

One  morning  before  he  left  his  hut.  Captain 
Spencer  heard  a  great  deal  of  laughing  outside, 
and  going  to  the  entrance,  he  saw  four  young  men, 
who  liud  brought  him  twenty-seven  tortoises,  and 
laid  them  at  his  door  to  surprise  him.  One  of  the 
tortoises  weighed  half  a  pound ;  and  he  rewarded 

*  Astacus 
27* 


318  AUSTKALIAN    WANDEREKS. 

the  good-natured  donors   bj  such  presents  as  he 
could  command. 

At  last  Captain  Spencer  became  tired  with  all 
this  fishing,  and  the  cold  and  wet  of  the  surround- 
ing neighbourhood,  and  he  was  longing  to  start 
again.  The  state  of  the  country,  however,  was 
an  insurmountable  obstacle ;  and  all  the  diversity 
he  could  obtain  was  to  ride  to  some  distance  from 
the  river,  and  to  his  surprise  and  pleasure  he 
always  found  Kinchela  ready  to  go  with  him ;  for 
he  did  not,  even  in  the  midst  of  temptation,  com- 
mit his  former  enormities.  During  these  excur- 
sions they  saw  very  few  birds  which  they  had  not 
seen  before,  and  these  were  chiefly  Avild  fowl,  which 
came  to  feast  upon  the  fish.  On  arriving  near  some 
trees,  Kinchela  made  a  sign  to  his  master  to  be 
very  cautious  ;  so  he  dismounted,  and  telling  Tiger 
and  Gip  to  be  quiet,  the  two  men,  by  great  ma- 
noeuvring, came  near  enough  to  see  an  immense 
number  of  those  beautiful  Cockatoos  which  have 
rose-coloured  tippets,  and  scarlet  and  yellow  crests;* 
they  were  evidently  holding  a  council  of  some  sort, 
and  had  placed  sentinels  all  round  them  on  the 
boughs,  which  constantly  stood  on  tiptoes,  as  if  to 
watch  against  danger.  Besides  these  was  a  brown- 
headed  Swallow,!  which  had  buiit  nesis  of  clay  in 
rows,  one  above  another,  in  the  shape  of  bottles. 
A  Pied   Warbler|  was  very  common,  which  sang 

'CacatuaLeadbeaterii.     tChelidonlinel.     JAcrocephalus  Australia 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  819 

the  greater  part  of  the  night,  and  its  tones  re 
minded  the  Englishman  of  those  of  the  Nightin- 
gale. A  small,  speckled  Dove  of  great  beauty, 
with  lilac  plumage,  white  delicate  spots,  and  a  red 
skin  round  its  eyes,  often  excited  his  admiration  ;* 
and  another  species  surprised  him  by  the  power 
which  it  had  of  sending  its  voice  to  a  distance,  as 
if'  it  were  a  large  bird,  singing  far  away.f  Some 
very  pretty  little  creatures  assembled  in  numbers, 
and  stood  in  a  circle  with  their  heads  iuAvards. 

On  returning  to  the  village  from  one  of  his  rides, 
Captain  Spencer  heard  a  melancholy  sort  of  chant 
kept  up  by  a  number  of  persons ;  and  on  asking 
Kinchela  what  it  meant,  he  was  told  that  the  peo- 
ple were  singing  for  the  wind  to  jump  up,  that  the 
water  might  be  rough,  and  better  enable  them  to 
catch  the  Wild  Ducks,  Widgeons,  &c.,  which  were 
now  so  numerous.  When  the  wind  did  "jump  up," 
the  natives  proceeded  to  the  river,  each  Jiaving  a 
noose  fastened  to  a  long  rod;  with  this  in  their 
hands,  they  entered  the  water,  a  bunch  of  grass 
or  reeds  on  their  heads,  and  slowly  advancing  with 
a  peculiar  whistle  they  approached  the  birds,  and 
slipping  the  noose  round  their  necks,  pulled  them 
down  without  alarming  the  others. 

Captain  Spencer's  hatchet  was  missing,  and  he 
was  convinced  it  had  been  stolen,  for  he  recollected 
to  have  brought  it  home  in  safety  on  the  previous 

*  Geopelia  curvata.  t  Gcopelia  tranquilla. 


31l!0         AUSTRALIAN     WANDEREIS. 

day.  The  whole  village  appeared  to  be  in  a  state 
of  stupefaction  from  the  excesses  of  the  previous 
night ;  but  he  determined  to  make  an  instant  in- 
quiry, and  proceeded  to  the  dwelling  of  his  favourite 
Ugat,  whom  he  found  quite  as  lively  as  usual,  for 
he  was  not  one  of  the  great  eaters,  and  said  he 
never  engaged  in  such  feasts.  He  cheerfully 
arose,  went  to  his  equally  temperate  father,  and 
by  various  kickings,  questionings,  and  shakings, 
the  two  succeeded  in  finding  out  what  boys  had 
been  seen  about  the  hut  while  Tiger  was  feeding 
away  from  it,  for  they  were  sure  none  would  enter 
while  he  was  there.  They  then  nodded  their  heads, 
and  went  straight  to  one  of  the  huts  where  parents 
and  all  were  asleep ;  they  had  some  difficulty  in 
rousing  them,  but  when  they  were  awake,  Ugat 
laid  hands  on  a  yoiith  of  about  fifteen,  and  desired 
him  to  give  up  the  white  man's  hatchet.  The  boy 
at  first  denied  the  theft ;  but  on  being  told  that  it 
was  known  he  had  slipped  in  unperceived  and 
taken  it,  and  that  it  was  useless  to  deny  it,  the 
rogue  cried,  and  Warrup  walked  into  the  hut  and 
discovered  it,  although  concealed  in  a  heap  of  rub- 
bish at  one  corner.  It  was  of  course  restored  ; 
and  when  their  guest  asked  the  natives  how  tliey 
ascertained  which  was  the  culprit,  they  said  that 
when  they  knew  who  had  been  seen  near  liis  dwel- 
ling, thoj"  singled  him  out,  because  he  had  largo 
eyes,  which  look  every  where,  and  are  never  still, 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  321 

and  it  is  not  good  to  trust  a  black  fellow  like  that 
:rhe  father  requested  Captain  Spencer  to  name 
the  punishment ;  and  he  ordered  that  the  offender 
should  not  be  allowed  to  eat  anj  fish  or  fowl  for 
three  (hxys. 

When  Captain  Spencer  found  that  Warrup  and 
Ugat  did  not  eat  as  the  rest  did,  he  invited  them 
to  talk  to  him  ;  and  he  and  Kinchela  then  started 
for  a  walk,  and  with  the  restored  hatchet  cut  a 
quantity  of  honev  from  a  tree,  together  with  a 
waxy  substance,  which  tasted  like  gingerbread^ 
fiome  of  both  of  which  he  gave  to  several  children 
on  his  return,  purposely  leaving  out  the  thief,  who 
was  also  present.  "What  is  the  reason,"  said  he 
to  Kinchela,  as  they  sat  under  a  tree  together, 
*'  that  your  people  carry  fire-sticks  about  at  night, 
when  they  do  not  want  to  make  a  fire?"  "Be- 
cause they  try  to  keep  away  bad  spirits,"  replied 
the  native  ;  "  they  always  sitting  up  in  the  trees, 
unless  when  they  go  about  in  canoe  on  the  river ; 
they  have  crooked  legs,  but  they  teach  the  people 
to  sing."  "  Tell  me  something  about  boyl-yas," 
continued  his  master.  "  Ugh !"  returned  Kin- 
chela ;  "  it  makes  me  so  ill ;  they  can  do  all  things ; 
one  come  to-morrow  to  cure  poor  boy.  Boccolo 
see  him  ;  poor  boy  got  bad  legs."  "Well,"  con- 
tinued Captain  Spencer,  "  that  need  not  prevent 
you  from  telling  me  about  him  now."  "Let  me 
como  close,  then,"  resumed  Kinchela:  "  boyl-ya 


322  AUSTRALIAN    "WANDERERS. 

got  bone  in  his  log,  which  dead  man  put  there,  and 
he  can  kill  with  that.  Ugh!"  "  He  dare  not  kill  you 
when  I  and  Tiger  are  so  near ;  besides  which,  you 
know  you  have  stones  to  keep  him  away."  "  Oh, 
Boccolo  !  boyl-ya  sit  down  close,  hear  Kinchela — 
be  very  angry.  I  shall  not  tell  you  any  more ; 
he  come  along  in  sky  when  you  sleep.  Ugh !  it 
makes  my  head  ache ;  he  kill  us  both  ;  eat  us  up 
like  fire."  "  Does  boyl-ya  then  eat  men  ?"  "Yes, 
Boccolo ;  all  boyl-yas  eat  man  once  ;  but  he  not 
bites,  not  eat  bones  ;  he  sits  on  mans  grave ;  but 
if  black  fellow  be  sick,  he  charm,  charm,  charm  ! 
He  walk  away  there  !  Ugh  !  I  shall  not  tell  you 
any  more." 

Warrup  and  Ugat  that  evening  confirmed  all 
that  Kinchela  had  said,  and  told  Captain  Spencer 
that  besides  the  common  boyl-yas,  there  was  one 
which  inhabits  water  only,  and  makes  people  die  gra- 
dually, especially  women  ;  also  one  which  gives  the 
nightmare,  which  the  Englishman  thought  a  very 
natural  disorder  for  them  to  have ;  and  that  the 
only  way  to  get  rid  of  him,  was  to  jump  up,  twirl 
a  lighted  stick  round  the  head  while  they  cursed 
him,  and  then  throw  it  at  him,  for  he  wants  a  light, 
and  when  he  gets  it  will  go  away.  They  added, 
that  shining  stones  were  good  things  to  keep  away 
spirits,  but  women  must  not  see  them;  and  when 
they  took  their  leave,  they  begged  of  Captain 
Spencer  to  witness  the  power  of  the  sorcerers  the 


AUSTRALIAN     W  A  N  D  K  jl  !■:  K  S  .         32o 

next  day.  The  patient  had  erysipehxs  in  the  leg, 
supposed  to  have  been  given  him  by  the  water  spirit ; 
and  he  was  carried  to  a  distance  from  the  village, 
put  upon  the  ground,  and  his  friends  sat  in  two 
rows  looking  on,  but  not  near  to  him.  Three  sor- 
cerers appeared,  coming  in  the  figure  of  a  triangle, 
with  bunches  of  fresh  reeds  in  their  hands,  which 
they  frequently  shook  as  they  galopaded  up  to  the 
boy,  Avith  the  right  foot  foremost,  singing  a  low 
dirge,  which  was  answered  by  the  natives,  who 
thumped  upon  the  ground.  When  they  reached 
the  patient,  the  foremost  fell  on  his  knees  and  took 
hold  of  the  bad  leg,  while  his  two  companions  con- 
tinued to  sing  and  dance  ;  he  then  retired,  and 
each  of  the  others  took  his  place,  and  touched  the 
leg ;  then  they  all  three  danced  together,  preserv- 
ing the  triangular  figure,  the  boy  in  the  middle. 
After  this  they  blew  from  their  mouths,  spat,  made 
all  sorts  of  horrid  noises,  pressed  the  sore  leg  for 
the  spirit  to  give  signs  of  going  away,  and  after 
carrying  on  this  farce  for  some  time,  they  pre- 
tended to  extract  a  sharp  stone  from  the  diseased 
part,  which  was  driven  into  the  ground  too  deep 
for  any  one  to  see.  The  friends  of  the  boy  then 
took  him  away,  and  the  sorcerers  danced  in  a  tri- 
angle round  the  spot,  and  galopaded  all  the  way 
to  the  river,  to  drive  the  evil  spirit  into  the  water. 
In  further  conversations  with  his  friends.  Cap- 
tain Spencer  learned  the  restrictions  concerning 


824  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

food ;  and  found  many  of  them  to  be  confined  to 
certain  ages,  beginning  at  nine  or  ten  years,  and 
taken  off  Avhen  advanced  in  life.  They  told  him 
that  a  father  has  absolute  power  over  his  wives' 
children,  and  that  families  always  know  where  the 
absent  members  may  be,  although  dispersed,  and 
that  messages  are  sent,  or  signal-fires  made,  to  call 
them  back  in  cases  of  danger  ;  that  matters  of 
dispute  are  discussed  in  a  genei'al  assembly  of  the 
tribe,  when  those  who  speak  may  go  on  till  they 
are  exhausted  ;  that  all  are  left  to  die  when  they 
are  helpless,  even  parents  ;  that  children  are  often 
killed  to  get  rid  of  the  trouble  of  rearing  them, 
that  the  first  three  or  four  are  almost  always  de- 
stroyed, and  that  the  children  of  white  fathers  are 
invariably  murdered.  That  every  family  adopts 
a  kobong  or  tiend^,  in  the  shape  of  some  peculiar 
animal ;  and  they  dare  not  kill  and  eat  it,  unless 
in  the  first  instance  they  give  it  a  chance  of  escape  ; 
that  names  are  bestowed  on  account  of  peculiari- 
ties, such  as  the  Father  of  Seeing,  for  a  man  who 
always  looks  about  him  ;  that  children  are  named 
after  their  mother,  and  that  no  woman  can  marry 
a  nearer  relation  than  her  cousin,  and  even  that 
very  seldom.  That  a  man  may  have  as  many 
wives  as  he  pleaseSy.and  treat  them  as  he  likes, 
and  that  there  is  no  marriage-ceremony.  That 
the  bodies  of  old  women  are  often  tossed  into  trees, 
because  they  are  not  worth  the  trouble  of  burial,* 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  326 

ind  sand  is  put  into  the  tattoo  Avounds,  -when  first 
made,  to  render  them  hard,  and  the  sears  pro- 
jecting. 

The  tattooing,  they  said,  varied  according  to 
the  country  and  the  tribe  ;  at  twelve  or  fourteen, 
boys  are  partially  tattooed  ;  and  at  about  twenty, 
the  shoulders,  arms,  and  chest,  are  cut  with  sharp 
shells,  which  causes  great  suiFering,  and  is  often 
resisted,  although  it  is  supposed  to  be  a  great 
addition  to  beauty.  Warrup  had  a  mark  like  a 
horse-shoe  upon  his  shoulder.  The  modes  of  burial 
dift'er  even  in  the  same  family.  There  were  other 
ways  of  curing  disease  than  sorcery,  they  said,  for 
they  bled  with  a  piece  of  crystal  or  bone  ;  which 
bone,  if  burnt,  will  cause  the  death  of  enemies : 
they  use  bandages  for  wounds,  and  bark  splinters 
for  fractures.  They  suck  the  bites  of  snakes,  if 
plenty  of  water  be  near  with  which  they  can  wash 
the  mouth.  There  are  many  natives  deformed 
and  blind,  the  first  .caused  by  eating  charmed  food; 
but  such  persons  are  always  respected. 

In  their  intercourse  with  each  other,  as  far  as 
he  could  see,  the  natives  of  the  interior  of  Aus- 
tralia appeared  to  be  honest  and  trustful,  generous 
in  dividing  spoil,  giving  the  largest  share  to  old 
persons ;  but  their  good  qualities  were  much  di- 
minished where  women  were  concerned.  This 
portion  of  every  community  was  in  a  painfully 
degraded  state.  They  were  in  all  cases  more 
28 


326  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

diminutive  tlian  men,  seldom  attaining  even  five 
feet ;  tlieir  heads   were   not  so  -^vell    formed,  but 
their  hands  and  feet  were   small,  and  delicately 
shaped.     They  are  made  to  work  hard  from  earliest 
childhood,  Avhile  the  other  sex  bask  in  indolence. 
They  are  perfect   slaves   to   their  husbands,  and 
nevertheless  possess  a  certain  degree  of  influence 
over  them.     If  any  privation  is  to  be  undergone, 
it  is  they  who  are  to  bear  it,  even  before  the  child- 
ren, who  are  much  indulged  ;  they  collect  and  pre- 
pare the  food,  dig,  make  huts,  bring  wood  for  fire, 
and  carry  all  the  burdens.     The  women's  bag  con- 
tains all  their  useful  implements ;  while  their  hus- 
bands sit  by  the  fire,  they  are  allowed  to  shiver  in 
the  Avet  and  cold,  and  in  extreme  heat  they  are  to 
be  seen  toiling  with  their  loads,  and  their  sole  re- 
lief   a  bunch  of  wet  grass  on  the  head.       They 
paint  themselves  with   green  and  red,  ornament 
themselves  with    feathers,  necklaces   of  kangaroo 
teeth,   and  stems  of  plants,   and  are  fond  of  de- 
coration ;  they  are    often    promised    in  marriage 
during  early  infancy  ;  when  they  become  orphans 
or  widows,  they  belong  to  the  nearest  male  rela- 
tions ;  and  if  a  girl  be  unusually  handsome,  she 
will  be  covered  with  scars  of  spear  wounds,  made 
by  those  who  have  wished  to  have  her  for  a  wife, 
or  the  marks  of  injuries  done  to  her  by  her  jeal- 
ous companions.     Both  sexes,  if  you  are  without 
protection,  are  willing  to  afford  help,  and  will  go 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS  32T 

miles  out  of  their  way  to  show  you  your  proper 
direction. 

It  is  very  rarely  that  any  great  meeting  of  tribes 
takes  place  without  a  quarrel.  They  are  generally 
attacked  by  indigestion,  in  consequence  of  excess  ; 
and  indigestion  but  too  often  engenders  ill-humour. 
They  are  at  all  times  boastful ;  and  several  dis- 
putes arose  during  their  assemblage  by  the  river- 
side, which  Warrup  allayed  by  his  influence ;  but 
on  one  occasion  two  men  of  different  tribes  were 
so  determined  to  come  to  blows,  that  matters  were 
■obliged  to  take  their  course.  They  agreed  to  at- 
tack each  other  first  with  spears,  and  then  with 
waddies  or  clubs ;  and  a  regular  ring  was  to  be 
made  for  the  combatants  the  next  afternoon.  Opv 
of  them,  however,  lost  his  courage  in  the  morning, 
and  was  inclined  to  let  the  affair  drop  ;  but  the 
women  were  mixed  up  with  it,  and  his  mother  tried 
to  persuade  him,  for  the  honour  of  the  tribe,  to 
meet  his  antagonist ;  she  made  him  a  long  speech, 
which  she  ended  by  saying,  that  the  eyes  of  all 
the  young  women  were  upon  him.  Inconsistent 
as  it  was  with  the  subdued  condition  of  ohe  females, 
this  was  conclusive,  and  the  fight  to .'-  place.  The 
men  were  showily  painted  and  decnated,  and  the 
graceful  attitudes  into  which  tbnv  ti  rew  themselves 
when  they  avoided  each  ot'^er's  thrusts,  was  a  fine 
exhibition  of  the  human  for^.  At  length,  amid 
their  wild  cries  they  suddenly  came  to  a  stop,  ai  ' 


328         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

each  offered  his  leg  to  the  other  and  received  a 
spear  wound  in  the  thigh.  This  ended  the  spear- 
ing part,  and  then  came  the  club  combat ;  each 
stooped  to  the  other  alternately,  and  received  his 
blow ;  and  Captain  Spencer  found  it  difficult  to 
divest  himself  of  the  belief  that  there  was  some 
trick  in  it ;  the  blows  were  so  tremendous  that  it 
seemed  impossible  for  any  skull  to  bear  them,  but 
several  were  sustained,  and  then  one  fell  insensible 
to  the  ground,  as  the  other  staggered  and  also 
fell.  Both  men  were  carried  away,  but  were 
walking  about  the  next  morning  as  if  nothing  had 
happened. 

Whenever  Captain  Spencer  talked  of  going, 
there  was  some  reason  urged  on  the  part  of  War- 
rup  and  Ugat  for  detaining  him  still  longer.  He 
had  not  seen  all  their  games,  he  had  not  seen  a 
large  kangaroo-hunt ;  but  he  soon  became  so  seri- 
ously determined,  that  they  at  last  hurried  their 
sights  on  in  quick  succession ;  they  promised  to 
let  him  witness  the  throwing  of  the  boomerang  or 
kiley ;  and  before  they  began  they  had  a  game 
played  with  a  bunch  of  emu's  feathers  tied  to  a 
short  stick,  which  was  shaken  in  defiance,  and  the 
sport  consisted  of  efforts  to  take  it  from  its  pos- 
sessor. It  was  interesting  from  the  display  of 
swiftness,    wrestling,    lumping,    and   manoeuvring 

iich  it  evinced  TL-  boomerang  is  a  thin,  curved 
piece  of  wood,  froui   two  to  three  feet  long,  and 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  329 

two  inches  broad,  one  side  of  which  is  slightly 
rounded,  and  the  other  flat.  Those  intended  for 
war  are  the  largest,  and  are  less  curved,  because 
they  are  only  intended  to  fly  in  a  straight  direc- 
tion ;  but  they  are  dangerous  weapons  from  the 
unerring  precision  with  which  they  are  thrown. 
Ugat,  who  was  the  most  skilful  in  the  tribe,  stood 
up  to  show  his  powers  to  the  Englishman ;  and  he 
sent  his  round  so  as  to  make  a  circumference  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  From  left  to  right, 
when  it  fell  at  his  feet.  ■  For  about  fifty  yards  it 
flew  as  rapidly  as  an  arrow,  and  continued  with 
diminishing  speed  till  it  came  to  the  ground.  With 
a  stroke  even  more  vigorous,  it  hovered  like  a  bird 
in  the  air,  with  a  hurtling  sound,  and  taking  a 
downward  course,  the  tip  touched  the  earth  three 
times  with  a  twang  like  that  of  a  harp-string ;  it 
then  continued  its  circular  course  till  it  :^"'r'i.ed 
to  the  thrower.  Captain  Spencer  was  ver;  much 
struck  with  this  singular  weapon,  the  priiciple  of 
which  he  could  not  at  all  explain  ;  he  was  old  that 
nothing  but  practice  from  childhood  wou'd  enable 
any  one  to  use  it  well-;  that  directly  they  poised 
it,  the  skilful  could  tell  whether  it  would  fly  or  not, 
and  that  the  slightest  sj?Virg  from  it  would  pre- 
vent its  flight.  The  next  man  who  threw  it  cast  it 
too  forcibly,  and  when  its  progress  was  conse- 
quently arrested,  h*s  companions  shouted  with 
laughter.  The  down"v^ard  throw  was  also  a  failuro; 
28* 


330  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

for  it  passed  the  spot  where  it  ought  to  have  re- 
bounded, towered  up  fifty  feet,  and  then  came 
down  quickly.  At  night  some  old  boomerangs 
were  lighted  at  one  end,  thrown  all  at  the  same 
time  in  different  directions,  and"  the  effect  was 
beautiful,  like  that  of  birds  flying  about  with  fiery 
tails.  They  are  much  used  in  killing  Cockatoos. 
A  quieter  game  was  that  of  cat's  cradle,  in  which 
these  rude  natives  could  have  set  all  the  European 
players  at  defiance.*' 

The  Kangaroo  hunt  was  then  organized,  and 
Captain  Spencer,  mounted  on  Tiger,  was  ready 
first ;  so  having  to  wait  for  them,  he  rode  to  the 
river,  and  was  surprised  to  see  how  its  peculiar 
plants  had  flourished  since  he  had  last  been  there  : 
the  Geraniums  were  in  full  blossom,  and  the 
splendid  and  remarkable  Doryanthes  excelsa,  with 
Its  long,  broad,  aloe-like  leaves,  was  in  all  its  splen- 
dour. The  hunting-party  took  their  way  to  the 
spot  where  they  were  sure  of  meeting  with  Kan- 
garoos :  it  was  no  longer  the  stealthy,  artful  at- 
tack of  the  nitive,  whose  wives  and  children  lie 
flat  on  the  ground,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe  while 
he  gets  near  to  hir  game ;  it  was  not  the  following 
of  a  single  man  upon  its  track  for  three  successive 
days,  till  the  animal,  worried  and  tired,  lies  down, 
careless  whether  it  live  or  die  ;  but  it  was  a  regu- 
lar battue.  A  plain  in  which  the  Kangaroos  were 
Coeding  was  encir:;l3i  by  wood,  and  the  older  men 


AUSTRAI.  IAN     WANDERERS.  331 

assigned  stations  to  the  younger,  so  as  to  curround 
the  animals  before  they  were  conscious  that  ene- 
mies were  approaching.  They  gradually  narrowed 
the  circle  till  one  became  alarmed,  and  boundel 
away;  but  before  it  had  proceeded  far,  it  was 
stopped  by  the  most  terrific  and  hideous  shouts; 
it  returned  to  its  companions,  and  they  were  para- 
lysed with  fear  ;  the  natives  then  dashed  on  them 
with  their  spears,  and  effected  a  great  slaughter. 
The  prey  belongs  to  him  whose  spear  has  first 
touched  it,  however  slight  the  wound  may  be  ;  and 
if,  according  to  their  laws,  he  is  too  young  to  eat  it, 
it  is  given  to  his  nearest  male  relation  who  is  of 
the  proper  age.  The  cries  used  in  this  hunt  are 
peculiar  for  every  stage  of  it,  and  the  first  is  a  harsh 
utterance  of  the  syllable  kau.  Many  were  the 
fuiists  held  that  r.ight,  and  large  was  the  quautiiy 
eaten ;  but  the  Englishman  was  not  forgotten  in 
the  distribution  of  the  best  parts,  beautifully 
cooked. 

A  few  nights  after  the  hunt.  Captain  Spencei 
was  awoke  by  a  great  commotion  in  the  camp , 
talking,  quarreling,  and  movement  in  every  di- 
rection :  he  sent  Kinchela  to  know  the  reason,  and 
he  returned,  saying,  that  his  tribe  had  departed 
suddenly  in  the  night,  and  stolen  a  young  woman, 
and  now  it  was  found  out ;  that  the  river  tribe  had 
often  been  at  enmity  with  it,  and  made  up  their 
quarrels,  but  were  now  determired  on  folbwing 


832    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

them  as  soon  as  thej  could  get  ready,  and  punisii 
them  for  all  their  misdemeanors,  without  waiting 
till  they  could  make  a  demand  for  the  young  wo- 
man to  be  returned.  Now,  thought  the  English- 
man, I  shall  be  able  to  get  away ;  but  he  was  mis- 
taken. His  friends  asked  him  to  go  to  war  with 
them,  for  white  men  knew  how  to  fight.  Although 
a  fighting  man  by  profession.  Captain  Spencer  was 
not  so  enamoured  of  it  as  to  wish  to  fight  except 
for  his  own  country,  or  in  self-defence;  and  be- 
sides this,  the  crafty  sort  of  warfare  of  savages 
little  suited  his  ideas  of  fair  play.  lie  tried  to 
make  them  understand  this  ;  but  they  said  althou;^!! 
he  had  not  used  his  gun  while  among  theiii,  f(,r 
fear  of  frightening  them,  they  knew  he  could  kill 
every  body  with  it ;  and  they  begged  him  to  go  to 
war  with  them,  and  shoot  every  one  of  their  ene- 
mies. He  dismissed  the  deputation,  by  saying 
that  he  would  think  over  the  matter,  and  let  them 
know  his  determination  in  a  day  or  two. 

Nothing  now  was  to  be  heard  but  the  chipping 
of  spear-hcads,  or  seen,  but  fires  where  provision 
for  the  march  was  preparing,  and  lumps  of  paint 
or  bunches  of  feathers  passing  from  hut  to  hut 
All  these  employments  were  mixed  with  songs  of 
threats  and  hatred ;  and  Captain  Spencer  plainly 
heard  in  one  of  the  dwellings  nearest  to  his  own, 
s  man  singing  to  himsolf,— 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        333 

"  I'll  si)ear  his  liver, 
I'll  spear  his  lungs, 
I'll  spear  his  heart, 
I'll  spear  his  thigh,  ho  !" 

Then  his  wives  took  up  the  burden,  and  enumerated 
other  parts  of  the  body  to  be  speared ;  and  as  they 
are  very  much  influenced  by  their  songs,  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  sonething  serious  was  likely  to 
occur.  Captain  Spencer  then  thought  it  best  to 
consult  Warrup  and  Ugat ;  and  sending  for  them, 
he  made  them  in  some  measure  comprehend  what 
he  felt.  They,  however,  entreated  him  to  go  with 
them,  and  pointed  out  a  way  by  which  he  might 
save  rather  than  spill  blood.  It  was  at  length 
arranged  between  them,  that  the  tribe  should  start 
first,  he  follow,  and  remain  at  a  distance;  and 
when  they  had  thrown  their  spears,  he  should  fire 
over  the  enemy,  but  not  into  them,  unless  such  a 
proceeding  should  be  necessary.  . 

The  warriors,  fully  equipped,  departed  at  early 
dawn;  and  their  feathers,  their  shining  spears, 
their  painted  bodies,  and  their  chants,  dying  away 
in  the  distance,  produced  a  most  imposing  efiect. 
The  Englishman  slowly  followed  on  Tiger,  with 
Kincliela,  Gip,  and  Charlie ;  he  would  willingly 
have  dispensed  with  the  presence  of  the  two  latter, 
but  where  he  was,  they  thought  they  must  be  also. 
He  came  up  with  the  parties  as  they  stood  front- 
ing each  other,  in  a  most  hostile  attitude  ;  he  gave 


S84  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

the  signal  of  liis  arrival  in  one  of  the  native  calla 
which  he  had  learned,  and  remained  behind ;  the 
Bpears  were  thrown,  and  some  wounded ;  but  be- 
fore a  second  attack  was  made,  Captain  Spencer 
fired  his  first  rifle-ball  over  the  heads  of  the  guilty 
tribe.  The  flash  of  the  gun,  the  smoke,  the  whiz- 
zing of  the  ball  ov£r  their  heads,  electrified  the 
enemy,  and  made  most  of  the  friends  tremble ; 
and  before  the  former  could  recover  from  their 
panic,  a  second  ball  sent  them  all  flying,  except 
the  Englishman's  own  friends,  who  stood  in  awful 
silence.  Then  galloping  after  the  fugitives,  Charlie 
screaming  over  his  head,  "  Ho  !  ho  !  what  a  row!" 
he  fired  both  barrels  of  one  pistol,  and  the  rout 
was  complete :  they  all  disappeared,  exclaiming, 
"  Irru  !  irru!"  On  returning  from  the  pursuit, 
and  laughing  at  the  eff'ect  which  he  had  produced, 
he  saw  the  body  of  a  female  lying  on  the  ground ; 
she  ha-d  been  speared,  and  was  insensible  from  loss 
of  blood,  though  not  dead.  He  rode  up  to  Ugat 
and  told  him,  and  she  proved  to  be  the  missing 
woman ;  who,  by  the  by,  had  been  a  willing  fugi- 
tive, and  was  now  struck,  either  by  those  who  had 
taken  her  away,  or  by  some  of  her  friends.  Cap- 
tain Spencer  proposed  to  staunch  her  wounds  ;  but 
her  relations  refused,  and  carried  her  with  them 
as  she  was.  The  injuries  on  the  side  of  her  tribe 
were  very  slight,  yet  they  proceeded  slowly  with 
theu- burden.     Warrup  and- Ugat  therefore  offei'ed 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  335 

to  take  their  friend  home  by  a  shorter  path,  and 
at  a  quicker  pace ;  they  seemed  gloomy  and  un- 
happy, but  thanked  him  very  warmly  for  his  inter- 
ference,  which  they  said  had   saved  many  lives ; 
and  when  they,  late  at  night,  had  seen  him  to  his 
hut,  they  yet  lingered,  as  if  they  had  something 
distressing  to  tell  him.     He  pressed  them  to  say 
what  was  the  matter ;  but  they  shook  their  heads, 
and  answered  that  he  had  wished  to  go  aAvay,  and 
they  had  wished  to  keep  him  a  long  time,  but  now 
they  thought  he  had  better  go  directly  ;  they  would 
bring  him  plenty  of  provisions,  and  Kinchela  Avould 
tell  him  their  reason  when  he  was  gone  far.     He 
was  only  too  glad  to  profit  by  this  change,  and  im- 
mediately made   all   his   preparations  :  they  were 
soon  completed,  and  he  snatched  a  short  interval 
for  sleep.     Just  before  dawn  his  friends  appeared 
with  the  supplies,  which  were  lodged  in  the  skins 
as  usual ;  there  was  no  fcur  of  a  scarcity  of  water, 
and  the  country  was  rich  in  resources  of  all  kinds. 
The  good  creatures  presented  him  witli  two  ample 
opossum-cloaks,  made  by  their  wives,  and  a  large 
bunch  of  feathers.     To  Kinchela  they  gave  a  cloak 
of  kangaroo   skin,  with   many   instructions   which 
way  to  proceed  :  there  was  no   four  of  falling  in 
with  the   hostile   tribe,  as  they  had  taken  quite  a 
contrary   direction.       (Jap'.aiu    Spencer  in   return 
gave  to  each  of  them  some  gaily -coloured  handker- 
chiefs for  themselves  and  their  wives,  and  two  clasp 


336  A  U  S  T  R  A  L  I  .\  >;     >.V  A  N  D  E  R  E  R  S . 

knives,  with  which  they  t^eemed  quite  delighted. 
Thej  walked  with  him  for  a  few  miles,  repeated 
their  directions  to  Kinchela,  and  placing  their 
hands  on  the  Englishman's  shoulders,  and  touch- 
ing his  breast  with  their  head,  they  took  their  leave 
with  tears  streaming  down  their  cheeks. 

It  was  now  broad  daylight ;  and  though  Kin- 
chela  was  a  little  sorry  to  leave  his  comfortable 
quarters,  the  three  dumb  creatures  seeming  to  be 
aware  that  they  were  going  to  resume  their  former 
habits,  hailed  their  departure  with  infinite  joy ; 
the  shaking  of  Gip  was  not  forgotten  ;  and  Charlie, 
with  plenty  of  native  words  in  his  vocabulary, 
Avliich  made  a  most  ludicrous  addition  to  his  French 
and  English,  wound  up  his  vociferations  with 
"Very  good,  very  good!  ho!  ho!  hurra!"  At 
night,  after  he  had  chosen  a  convenient  station. 
Captain  Spencer  asked  Kinchela  to  tell  him  why 
Warrup  and  Ugat  had  wished  him  to  go  away. 
He  replied,  that  they  had  given  him  leave  to  tell, 
now  he  was  far  olf — that  the  people  were  going  to 
eat  that  young  woman,  and  his  friends  did  not  like 
him  to  be  there  while  they  did  so.  "  Then  it  is 
true,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  "that  people  in  this 
country  eat  men?"'  "Sometimes,  Boccolo,"  re- 
plied Kiuclicla  ;  "  and  one  of  the  women  who  used 
often  to  come  to  our  hut,  carried  the  skull  of  a 
child  in  her  bag  which  had  been  eaten  some  time 
ago."     The  Englishman  shuddered,  but  perfectly 


AUSTHALIAN    WANDERERS.        337 

appreciated  the  good  feeling  of  Warrup  and  Ugat, 
whicli  made  them  desire  to  spare  him  so  revolting 
a  spectacle. 

Kinchela,  who  had  visited  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try some  years  before,  being  in  perfect  possession 
of  the  route,  they  did  not  keep  close  to  the  river, 
but  avoided  its  tortuous  course,  and  merely  came 
now  and  then  upon  its  banks.  Ponds,  pools  of 
water,  small  lakes  and  streams  presented  them- 
Belves,  and  signs  of  natives  were  frequent.  This 
rendered  it  necessary  to  resume  all  their  former 
vigilance ;  and  they  took  it  in  turns  to  sleep  dur- 
ing the  night.  After  a  long  day's  march,  they 
bivouacked  under  a  clump  of  trees  on  the  top  of 
a  hill.  Captain  Spencer  being  always  anxious  to 
avoid  low  situations,  or  those  which  were  much 
enclosed,  for  fear  of  surprise.  Kinchela  went  to 
collect  fire-Tfood,  and  gather  a  plant  which  he 
said  was  good  for  supper,  and  which  very  much 
resembled  cress,  while  his  master  unloaded  Tiger. 
The  man  returned  very  speedily,  saying  that  on 
the  side  of  the  hill,  in  a  plain,  there  were  some  na- 
tives about  to  bury  one  of  their  people,  and  he 
could  show  Captain  Spencer  a  place  from  whence 
he  could  watch  their  proceedings,  without  being 
seen  himself.  The  travellers  accordingly  stationed 
themselves,  then  Gip  and  Tiger  were  told  to  keep 
quiet,  and  the  former  to  watch  the  things.  The 
grave  was  already  dug,  and  the  body  was  wrapped 
29 


838  A-U  t  -.1  ;;  A  L  I  A  N     WANDERERS. 

in  skins,  and  bound  round  with  cords ;  the  women 
and  relatives  uttered  loud  lamentations,  scratched 
their  noses  and  cheeks,  tore  their  thighs,  their 
breasts,  and  their  backs  with  shells  and  pieces  of 
flint,  from  which  the  blood  floAved  freely.  The 
men  at  first  stood  outside  with  their  weapons  in 
their  hands,  then  they  closed  round  the  grave,  and 
the  lamentations  of  the  women  were  more  vocifer- 
ous than  ever.  A  man  went  to  the  head  of  the 
corpse,  and  another  to  the  feet ;  they  cut  the  cords  ; 
the  arms,  which  were  crossed,  were  laid  down  by 
the  sides  ;  a  gash  was  made  by  a  sorcerer — the  in- 
testines pulled  out,  a  piece  cut  off — the  woman 
screamed  louder  and  louder — a  handful  of  green 
boughs  was  waved  over  the  fire,  and  thrust  into  the 
body — the  severed  part  of  the  entrails  wrapped  in 
fresh  leaves,  and  put  into  a  bag — the  rest  put  back 
to  their  place  with  more  leaves,  and  the  body  waa 
again  tied  up.  One  relation  violently  jumped  up, 
and  screamed,  seeming  as  if  he  were  going  to  spear 
some  one ;  but  he  was  prevented,  and  the  severed 
piece  of  intestine  shown  to  him,  as  a  proof  that 
the  deceased  had  died  a  natural  death.  A  skin 
was  spread  at  the  bottom  of  the  grave,  and  covered 
with  boughs ;  the  body  placed  east  and  west  upon 
these ;  more  boughs  were  thrown  upon  it,  the  earth 
was  pushed  in  with  the  feet,  then  raised  into  a 
mound,  and  the  whole  covered  with  bark  and  net- 
ting.    The  shrieks  were  redoubled,  and  the  party 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  339 

dispersed.  Kinchela  said  that  the  women  -would 
come  back  alone  in  a  little  time,  and  cut  thcm- 
Belves  and  cry  afresh.  The  men  had  shorn  their 
hair  and  beards,  painted  their  heads  and  breasts 
with  pipe-clay,  and  even  put  hot  ashes  on  their 
heads  to  produce  a  singeing  effect.  The  lamenta- 
tions were  continued  at  intervals  during  the  night ; 
but  as  they  never  mention  the  names  of  the  dead, 
Kinchela  could  not  ascertain  who  was  gone,  al- 
though he  knew  the  tribe.  His  master  asked  him 
who  the  women  were  with  caps  on  their  heads 
made  of  pipe-clay ;  and  he  said  they  were  the 
widows  of  the  deceased. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Return  to  the  river — Beautiful  scrub — Bauhinia — Marjoram — Or- 
nithorynchus — Natives  become  more  frequent — Watching  neces- 
sary— Another  native  funeral — Beautiful  country — Casuarinae— 
Chirping  bird — Sorrel — Wood-ducks — Spiny  Anteater — Women 
carrying  dead  bodies — Old  woman — Flowers — Herd  of  wild 
horses — Blue  mountains — Overlander — Cattle  cross  the  river — ■ 
Meeting  of  Captain  Spencer  and  Mr.  St.  John-^Captain  Spencer 
entertains  the  Overlander — Conversation  between  the  two  gen- 
tlemen— Astonishment  at  Charlie — Mines  of  Adelaide — Murray 
river — Arrive  at  the  river  Darling — Character  of  natives — Mr. 
St.  John  gives  introductions  to  Captain  Spencer — The  friends 
part  with  regret. 

"  KiNCHELA,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  as  they 
started  before  sunrise,  "we  must  go  back  to  the 
river  ;  for  our  roots  and  meal  are  getting  low,  so 
let  us  turn  about."  Thej  proceeded  through  a 
rich  scrub  of  the  pendent  Acacia,*  the  broad,  green 
leaves  of  which  drooped,  and  the  blossoms  of  the 
richest  yellow  prevailed  over  all  that  part  of  the 
country.  The  trees  had  every  day  become  more 
beautiful ;  it  was  not  the  season  for  their  fruits, 
but  their  flowers  were  profuse.  A  Bauhinia, 
twenty  feet  high,  was  covered  with  white  bunches  ; 
and  a  small  bush,  looking  and  tasting  like  Mar- 
joram, gave  the  Englishman  home  recollections, 

*  Acacia  pendula. 

(340) 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  34.1 

Salsolss  and  Solani  were  plentiful  in  patches  ;  and 
a  shrub,  looking  like  the  Hawthorn,  shed  a  deli- 
cious perfume.  Kinchela  took  the  shovel,  Captain 
Spencer  unloaded  Tiger,  and  was  walking  up  with 
the  bags,  when  the  man  exclaimed,  "  Ho!  ho  !" — 
"Ho!  ho!"  said  Charlie,  "what's  the  matter?" 
and  flew  with  the  utmost  curiosity,  and  perched 
himself  on  the  boughs  of  one  of  the  drooping  trees 
close  by,  hoping  to  find  food  in  the  newly  turned- 
up  earth,  which  was  disturbed  by  the  shovel. 
"Kinchela  have  him,"  said  he,  holding  up  an  ani- 
mal which  he  had  dug  out  of  its  hole,  and  which 
his  master  instantly,  from  its  extraordinary  appear- 
ance, recognized  as  the  far-famed  and  much  dis- 
puted Ornithorynchus  paradoxus,  which  he  had  so 
much  wished  to  see,  and  Avhicli  Ugat  had  told  him 
was  so  difficult  to  catch,  from  its  quickness  in  bur- 
rowing the  moment  danger  approached.  It  ex- 
pired in  a  few  minutes ;  and  near  it  were  two 
young  ones,  which  had  been  deriving  nourishment 
from  the  mother.  "  Does  this  beast  lay  eggs  ?" 
said  Captain  Spencer  to  his  man.  "  IIo  !  ho !  ho !" 
cried  Kinchela,  and  went  into  a  fit  of  laughter, 
which  was  echoed  by  Charlie,  who  added,  '•  Hurra  ! 
hurra  !"  but  to  the  astonishment  of  all  the  party, 
from  the  trees  near  by  came  another  laugh,  noisy 
and  half-chattering,  which  "'.vus  taken  up  by  jtliers  ; 
and  for  some  minutes  there  w;!r^  sueli  an  iutenbO 
noise,  that  the  Englishman  thoug 
29* 


^  342         AUSTR\LIAN     WANDERERS. 

to  be  attacked  by  a  numerous  body  of  natives ; 
but  Kincbela  lauglied  again,  and  said — "Not  man, 
Boccolo,  bird  ;*  look  at  him  in  tree.  He  laugh  in 
morning,  laugh  when  sun  goes ;  he  eats  snakes, 
lizards,  plenty  things."  "I  heard  the  same  noise 
in  North-western  Australia,"  said  Captain  Spen- 
cer ;  "but  not  as  loud  or  ridiculous  as  this."  "  That 
bird  bigger,"  returned  Kincbela  ;  "  small  ones  go 
everywhere."  The  skins  of  all  the  Ornithorynchi 
were  carefully  preserved,  and  they  were  the  only 
incumbrances  which  the  Englishman  allowed  him- 
self to  take  ;  he  did  not  know  that  specimens  of 
this  curious,  duck-billed  animal,  with  its  mole-like 
propensities,  were  then  common  in  his  native  coun- 
try ;  at  all  events,  they  were  rare  in  India,  and 
were  preserved  for  the  doctor.  Kinchela  and  Gip 
ate  the  bodies,  but  they  were  not  tempting  to  their 
master. 

The  supply  of  roots  made,  the  party  turned 
away  from  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  river,  and 
journeyed  through  a  country  which  presented 
every  beautiful  variety  of  scene  except  lofty  moun- 
tains; these  were  replaced  by  rocky  hills,  some- 
times rising  in  abrupt  precipices,  sometimes  look- 
ing like  a  mass  of  enormous  fragments,  piled  one 
upon  another ;  and  then  lower  hills  of  sand-stone 
formed  a  series  of  undulating  plains,  or  were  co- 
vered with  the  loftiest  trees.    Upon  the  latter  were 

*  Dacelo  corvina,  or  Lauj^hing  Jackass. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  843 

many  Pines,*  v/itli  their  tnll,  straight  trunks,  ani^ 
crowns  of  leaves,  each  one  looking  as  if  it  were  fit 
for  the  mast  of  a  ship.  The  Melaleuca  and  Lep- 
tospermum  were  also  abundant,  and  Gum-trees  of 
numerous  kinds,  often  of  enormous  height,  rose  in 
various  directions,  while  small  streams  and  rich 
grass  made  Tiger  perfectly  happy.  So  rich  a  coun- 
try was  of  course  more  thickly  inhabited  ;  and  fre- 
quently small  parties  were  met  with,  whose  vicinity 
demanded  the  most  careful  vigilance,  on  account 
of  their  pilfering  propensities.  Captain  Spencer 
had  seen  the  Thugism  of  India,  and  therefore  was 
well  able  to  take  precautions  against  marauders. 
Gipsy  was  invaluable,  and  seemed  to  understand 
that  she  must  always  be  on  the  alert,  and  yet  not 
fly  into  a  fit  of  anger.  It  was  curious  to  see  how 
her  manner  of  proceeding  was  altered  since  she 
came  into  Australia ;  and  she  was  now  as  wary 
and  quiet  as  she  was  before  noisy  and  impetuous. 
The  night  they  last  turned  from  the  river,  she  gave 
a  short,  stifled  bark,  which,  however,  was  suflScient 
to  rouse  her  master,  who,  without  moving,  whis- 
pered to  her,  "Good  dog,"  and  both  watched 
without  appearing  to  io  so.  Captain  Spenc?r 
thought  he  saw  something  moving  in  the  tree  above 
him,  and  as  he  pretended  to  be  asleep,  that  some- 
thing was  soon  discovered  to  be  a  boy ;  for  he 
dropped  down,  and  for  a  minute  or  two  stood  close 

*  CalUtris. 


844  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

to  the  body  of  llie  tree ;  he  then  threw  himself  flat 
upon  the  ground,  and  was  slipping  himself  along 
towards  the  baggage,  when  Captain  Spencer  whis- 
pered, "  To  him,  Gip  !"  The  dog  seized  his  leg, 
and  her  master  his  arm,  while  he  fired  his  pistol 
over  his  head,  and  gave  him  a  good  shaking.  This 
noise  awakened  the  heavy-sleeping  Kinchela,  whose 
practised  eye  soon  detected  a  considerable  body 
of  natives  running  aAvay ;  and  as  the  Englishman 
only  wished  to  alarm,  he  suffered  the  boy  to  run 
after  them. 

There  was  no  accounting  for  the  fact,  but  equally 
without  reason,  some  of  the  natives  were  ferocious, 
and  required  the  utmost  courage  and  activity  to 
keep  them  off,  while  others  were  anxious  to  con- 
ciliate and  be  friendly ;  some  begged  for  every- 
thing which  they  saw,  and  even  tried  to  take  the 
baggage  from  before  the  owner's  eyes,  while  others 
seemed  not  to  expect  or  wish  for  anything  what- 
ever. Among  these  last,  were  a  set  of  men  who, 
from  their  koolimans,  or  vessels  of  bark  for  car- 
rying water  and  provisions,  gave  them  some  kan- 
garoo meat  and  roots,  and  asked  them  to  come 
and  see  a  dispute  settled.  They  followed  the 
natives  to  a  hollow,  where  a  large  party  was  en- 
camped ;  and  one  man  seated  in  the  midst,  with 
his  head  hanging  on  his  breast,  was  continually 
uttering  a  mournful  cry.  A  pause  ensued,  and 
the  cry  was  answered  by  some  women  :  he  rose 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.    345 

and  aJviinced,  repeating  his  lamentations,  and  his 
companions  also  rose,  and  formed  a  circle  round 
him.  The  men  who  had  caused  the  death  of  the 
mourner's  friend  stood  still  with  their  spears  in 
thei-  hands  ;  the  son  of  the  dead  man  was  behind, 
and  was  the  accuser  ;  and  the  widows  of  the  dead 
were  with  him  wailing  and  crying.  The  avenger 
in  the  middle  asked  for  a  spear,  but  no  one  gave 
it  to  him  ;  he  then  took  one  from  the  hands  of  his 
friends,  and  paced  furiously  up  and  down  before 
the  enemies,  threatening,  crying,  and  brandishing 
his  weapon.  After  he  had  sufficiently  excited 
himself,  he  lifted  his  spear,  and  each  of  the  ac- 
cused, to  the  number  of  five,  held  out  his  left  arm, 
without  shrinking.  He  thrust  them  all  with  his 
spear,  after  which  he  hung  his  head,  and  renewed 
his  wailings  and  gesticulations  for  a  time,  and  fin- 
ished the  affair  by  ordering  all  present  to  go  to 
their  different  encampments.  Captain  Spencer 
gave  a  handkerchief  to  the  man  who  had  invited 
him  to  witness  the  ceremony ;  and  refusing  all 
solicitations  to  make  a  longer  stay  among  them, 
he  too  pursued  his  route. 

As  the  travellers  advanced,  they  came  upon 
several  tributaries,  which  fell  into  the  main  river ; 
but  helpless  as  he  was  in  regard  to  guidance — for 
he  did  not  trust  much  to  Kinchcla,  who  had  now 
gone  beyond  his  knowledge,  and  had  never  before 
been  to  that  part  of  the  continent — he  was  rather 


346         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

uneasy,  while  following  the  main  stream,  to  find 
that  he  was  making  much  way  to  the  north ;  how- 
ever, he  knew  that  he  should  still  be  in  the  track 
of  settlers,  and  having  no  apprehensions  for  food 
or  water,  he  freely  gave  himself  up  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  beautiful  country  through  which  he 
passed — so  much  less  monotonous  than  that  of  the 
west,  and  so  much  more  fertile  than  that  of  the 
south.  The  climate,  however,  was  much  the  same, 
and  to  him  always  delicious  ;  for  there  was  a  buoy- 
ancy and  elasticity  in  the  atmosphere,  both  of  east 
and  west,  which  he  had  never  experienced  in  any 
other  quarter  of  the  globe ;  and  gave  him  both 
the  power  to  travel,  and  the  unfailing  hope  of  ulti- 
mate success.  There  were  many  familiar  forms 
of  soil,  vegetation,  and  animal  life.  Where  the 
first  was  poorer  than  usual,  the  Casuarinae  were 
so  numerous  as  to  form  a  scrub,  and  the  soft  breezes 
sometimes  swept  their  stringy  and  leafless  branches, 
the  sounds  of  which  an  imaginative  person  could 
easily  have  compared  to  the  tones  of  an  Eolian 
harp;  a  few  beautiful  parasites  hung  gracefully 
over  them,  and  adorned  this  dark,  gloomy  tree 
with  red  blossoms  tipped  with  green.  A  pale 
Mantis,  with  green  and  pink  wings,  often  seemed 
to  fly  before  him,  «s  if  a  guide,  and  when  he  took 
it  in  his  hand,  it  woukl  turn  its  head  round  and 
look  at  him  ;  the  spur-winged  Plovers  again  uttered 
(•heir  pretty,   but   plaintive    cries ;    and  beautiful 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  347 

varieties  of  Pigeons,  especially  the  broze-winged, 
abounded  ;  tliere  was  a  large  white  Ibis,  that  was 
v«ry  picturesque,  and  the  Parrots  and  Cockatoos 
were  more  beautiful  and  varied  than  ever ;  the 
Crinum  often  whitened  the  whole  plain  ;  there  was 
also  a  shrub  which  looked  like  a  white  Lilac,  the 
Calostemma  raised  its  bunches  of  purple  bellSj 
and  the  Amaryllidse  were  of  a  beautiful  straw- 
colour.  Heath-like  shrubs  now  and  then  entan- 
gled Tiger's  feet,  and  marked  the  presence  of  a 
loose  sandy  soil ;  while  the  Acacia  pendula  always 
prevailed  in  the  fissures,  on  which  snails  were  often 
found. 

Having  pulled  up  under  the  shade  of  a  lofty 
tree,  some  birds  on  the  lower  branches  appeared 
to  be  as  much  astonished  at  the  presence  of  our 
travellers  as  other  two-legged  creatures  had  been. 
These  birds  had  a  peculiar  chirp,  which  Captain 
Spencer  imitated,  upon  which  they  flew  round  him 
with  great  fsimiliarity,  and  some  even  perched  on 
Tiger's  back  ;  he  then  whistled,  and  they  replied, 
varying  their  answer  with  a  number  of  the  sweetest 
notes,  very  different  to  their  chirp,  which  had  been 
harsh  and  grating ;  the  males  and  females  seemed 
to  differ  much  in  plumage,  especially  about  the 
head  ;  they  had  not  been  seen  before,  and  were 
not  again ;  and  on  this  solitary  occasion  they  were 
disturbed  by  Charlie,  who,  when  he  saw  them 
clustering  round   Tiger,  dashed  in  among  them, 


348  AUSTKALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Bcreaming,  ''•  Rogues  !  scoundrels  !  lie  !  ho  !"  the 
unbrotherly  terms  with  which  he  always  saluted 
other  birds  ;  and  they  dispersed.  The  Gum-trees, 
at  times,  formed  the  most  charming,  open  forests, 
in  which  beautiful  shrubs  perfumed  the  air  ;  Kan- 
garoos were  numerous  ;  the  most  delicious  yellow 
Sorrel  sprang  up  under  their  feet,  which  afforded 
an  excellent  salad ;  and  the  river,  when  it  occa- 
sionally swelled  into  a  lake,  was  covered  w^ith  Wood 
Ducks,  whose  long  legs,  formed  for  perching  on 
trees,  made  them  an  easy  prey  to  Kinchela,  who 
dived  under  the  water,  and  caught  hold  of  them. 
There  were,  also,  other  kinds,  frequenting  the  pro- 
fuse quantities  of  Cyperus,  which  pushed  forth 
their  globular  heads  of  flowers ;  and  on  these  a 
spider,  covered  with  spines,  spun  its  geometrical 
webs. 

Gipsy  one  day  came  upon  a  ball  of  spines,  which 
she  rolled  about  with  her  paw,  nevertheless  she 
was  a  little  afraid  of  it ;  and  when  her  master 
took  it  up,  he  found  it  was  a  living  creature,  and 
putting  it  gently  down,  and  quietly  watching  it,  it 
unrolled  itself,  and  then  he  knew  that  it  must  be 
the  Spiny  Ant-eater,  with  spines,  not  only  all  over 
its  body,  but  in  the  roof  of  its  mouth,  and  also 
where  the  teeth  of  any  other  animal  would  have 
been.  The  Santalum  often  varied  the  landscape, 
with  some  of  its  branches  drooping,  while  others 
stood  erect,  and  with   its  elliptical  leaves  a  foot 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  349 

and  a  half  long.  A  small  sort  of  Melon,*  with 
not  much  flavour,  but  very  cool  and  refreshing, 
was  often  found  in  the  plains ;  and  thej  saw  some 
old  women  gathering  them,  who  carried  mummied 
bodies  on  their  backs,  under  their  opossum-cloaks  : 
one  of  whom  was  more  hideous  than  anything 
which  Captain  Spencer  had  ever  seen  in  human 
form ;  her  under-lip  projected  frightfully ;  her 
hair  was  short  and  gray,  which  is  never  becoming 
to  dark  complexions  ;  she  was  like  -a  living  skele- 
ton ;  and  she  chattered  and  screamed  at  the  tra- 
vellers as  they  passed,  with  a  hurried  fiery  glance, 
and  threatening  gestures.  There  were  traces  of 
natives  in  every  direction,  such  as  broken  mussel- 
shells,  heaps  of  grass,  ashes,  &c. ;  and  Kinchela 
found  a  rude  implement,  formed  of  a  piece  of  iron 
stuck  on  to  a  stick  with  cement  of  gum.  There 
was  a  purple  Eremophila,  a  curious  Jasmine,  grow- 
ing like  a  shrub,  and  an  exquisite  Abutilon  ;  while 
Honeysuckles,  large  Bindweeds,  and  a  magnificent 
Coral-tree,  the  seeds  of  which  had  a  sweet,  kernel- 
like flavour,  were  all  spread  before  them  to  gladden 
their  senses.  Tiger  revelled  in  new  grasses  ;  and 
new  birds  as  well  as  new  plants  seemed  to  present 
themselves  at  almost  every  step.  A  Solanum, 
with  tempting-looking  berries,  would  have  been 
avoided  by  the  Englishman,  from  the  fear  of 
its  being  poisonous,  but  Kinchela  unhesitatingly 

*  Cucumis  iiubescens. 


350  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

stepped  forward,  and  ate  some  of  the  fruit.  They 
supped  upon  that  of  a  trailing  plant,  which  was 
shaped  like  an  egg,  and,  Avhen  roasted,  was  excel- 
lent. The  rains  had  commenced  earlier  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  and  this  accounted  for  the 
greater  development  of  fruit. 

A  tramping  of  many  hoofs  startled  Captain 
Spencer  from  his  watch,  and  Tiger  also,  who  had 
been  quietly  sleeping  on  the  sod.  He  rose  sud- 
denly, and  stood  with  dilated  nostrils,  fore-legs 
stretched  out,  and  his  tail  half  raised,  when  a 
troop  of  horses  came  up,  as  if  to  claim  him  for 
their  companion  ;  their  eyes  flashed,  they  neighed, 
retreated,  returned,  and  played  all  sorts  of  antics, 
being  only  kept  ofi"  with  the  handle  of  a  spear. 
For  a  moment  poor  Tiger  was  tempted  to  follow 
his  brethren,  and  made  a  rush  towards  them ;  but 
the  Voice  of  his  master  recalled  him,  and  he  trotted 
back,  and  rubbed  his  nose  against  him,  as  if  to  say 
that  he  was  sorry  for  having  yielded,  even  for  a 
moment.  Kinchela  was  excessively  alarmed  at 
the  appearance  of  so  many  big  dogs,  and  gladly, 
but  tremblingly,  assisted  his  master  in  making 
several  large  fires  around  themselves,  to  keep  away 
what  he  looked  upon  as  monsters.  They  hovered 
about  the  party  for  several  days,  and  caused  con- 
siderable annoyance,  for  they  came  near  enough 
to  kick,  and  one  even  tried  to  bite  Tiger.  "  Are 
these  indigenous  to  Australia?"  thought  Captain 


AUfeTRALIAISr     WANDERERS.         351 

Spencer.  "  No ;  they  must  have  escaped  from 
the  herds  of  settlers,  and  become  irrecoverable." 
The  marks  of  cloven  hoofs  "vvere  often  visible  on 
the  soft  banks  of  the  river ;  but  there  were  no 
signs  of  a  spur  to  any  of  them,  and  the  conclu- 
sion was  that  these  were  caused  by  unrecovered 
cattle. 

Glimpses  of  very  distant  blue  mountains  now 
began  to  appear  from  time  to  time,  when  the  tra- 
vellers happened  to  mount  a  hill,  and  which  Cap- 
tain Spencer  thought  promised  vicinity  to  civilized 
habitations,  for  he  knew  that  a  chain  existed  in 
Eastern  Australia.  On  descending  from  one  of 
these  hills,  they  came  upon  a  wide  reach  of  the 
river,  and  determined  to  pass  the  night  on  its  fer- 
tile banks.  Beyond  it,  on  the  other  side,  was  a 
thick  wood ;  and  before  they  could  take  up  their 
position,  from  its  covert  issued  merry  and  loud 
sounds,  some  of  which  Captain  Spencer  fancied 
were  composed  of  English  words,  and  his  heart 
beat  quickly  at  the  hope  of  meeting  his  country- 
men. Shortly  after,  thousands  of  cattle  emerged 
from  the  trees,  and  rushed  down  the  sloping  bank 
which  bordered  the  river.  From  another  part 
came  eighty  or  a  hundred  horses ;  and  in  advance 
of  them  was  a  man  on  horseback,  wearing  a  round 
hat  covered  with  oil-skin,  mackintosh  leggings, 
short  jacket,  and  a  short-handled  whip,  with  an 
immensely  long  lash.    Behind  the  cattle  were  three 


352  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

others,  also  mounted,  and  several  natives  with 
spears.  The  first  had  evidently  come  to  recon- 
noitre, and  to  find  the  hest  spot  for  crossing  the 
river  ;  and  there  was  something  about  him  which 
seemed  to  say  that  he  was  the  master  of  the  lively 
and  numerous  procession. 

It  so  happened  that  Captain  Spencer,  in  follow- 
ing a  native  track,  had  stopped  opposite  the  ford ; 
but  now  fearing  that  he  and  his  companions  would 
be  overwhelmed  by  the  multitude  as  they  came 
across,  he  removed  to  some  distance.  He  tucked 
Gipsy  on  to  his  knapsack,  and  she  peered  over  his 
shoulder;  Tiger  stood  quietly  by  his  side,  with 
Charlie  on  his  back  ;  Kinchela,  spears  in  hand, 
eagerly  contemplated  the  unusual  scene  ;  and  Cap- 
tain Spencer  himself  stood  still,  resting  on  his  gun. 
The  grouping  was  beautiful,  and  the  master  of  the 
herds  was  evidently  struck  by  it,  for  he  paused, 
and  seem  to  scan  it  with  a  curious  gaze.  At  last 
he  called  out,  "  Are  you  an  Englishman  ?  and  do 
you  know  anything  about  the  ford?"  "I  am  an 
Englishman,"  replied  Captain  Spencer;  "but  as 
it  is  the  first  time  I  and  my  servant  have  been 
here,  we  are  both  ignorant  of  its  depth ;  its  situa- 
tion is  most  probably  where  you  now  stand."  The 
owner  of  the  cattle  plunged  into  the  water,  and 
ascertained  the  nature  of  the  locality;  he  then  re- 
turned, gave  the  signal  for  crossing,  and  himself 
assisted  in  driving  and  urging  the  beasts  into  the 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.         353 

proper  direction.  It  was  a  most  animated  scene  : 
at  first,  horses  and  cattle  refused  to  enter  the  wa- 
ter ;  then  came  the  shouts  and  exclamations  of  the 
Europeans,  the  slashing  of  their  long  whips,  the 
screams  and  cries  of  the  natives,  mingled  with  the 
snortings  and  bellowings  of  the  beasts,  and  the 
barkings  of  large  dogs.  The  refractory,  instead 
of  crossin'g,  rushed  along  the  side  of  the  river, 
and,  by  their  bad  example,  dispersed  the  others ; 
then  their  masters  galloped  after  them,  the  blows 
rained  thickly  on  their  hides,  and  they  strove  to 
regain  the  bush,  or  forest.  The  mounted  horses, 
turning  sharply  on  their  haunches,  got  a-head  of 
them,  and  their  riders  drove  them  back,  forming  a 
display  of  horsemanship  which  would  have  done 
credit  to  an  Arab  ;  and  Captain  Spencer  longed 
to  unload  Tiger,  and  go  to  their  assistance.  At 
last,  a  few  beasts,  more  docile  or  more  frightened 
than  the  rest,  were  slashed  and  pushed  into  the 
water,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  large  extent  of  the 
river  was  covered  with  heads  and  horns,  the  dogs 
swimming  round  and  round  to  keep  them  from 
being  too  widely  scattered. 

At  length  all  were  safe  over,  and  were  driven  to 
the  plain  beyond  the  hill,  where  there  was  excel- 
lent grass  ;  and  when  collected  into  two  parties,  a 
watch  was  formed,  and  fires  made  at  close  inter- 
vals all  around,  both  to  prevent  the  herds  from 
Straying,  and  the  incursions  of  natives.  With 
30* 


354    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

Gipsy  still  on  his  back,  and  his  two  other  compan- 
ions following  him,  Captain  Spencer  then  advanced, 
his  heart  thrilling  with  pleasure  as  he  heard  the 
principal  stranger  say  to  his  chief  man,  "  We  have 
done  it  well  this  time,  and  the  horses  and  cattle 
are  well  broken  in  ;  we  never  passed  a  ford  witi 
30  little  trouble  ;  hut  who  can  this  be  coming  tc 
us  ?"  ""  He  has  been  doing  the  same  as  ourselves," 
replied  the  driver,  "  and  is  now  returning."  "  No, 
no,"  said  the  first  speaker  ;  "  he  has  never  driven 
a  herd  of  cattle,  I  am  sure  ;  a  pack  upon  hi,s 
horse — which,  by  the  by,  is  one  of  great  value — • 
an  unknown  bird  on  the  top  of  the  pack,  a  dog 
upon  his  knapsack,  his  clothes  patched,  and  a  na- 
tive servant — who  can  he  be?"  Captain  Spencer 
was  much  amused  at  the  audible  observations  of 
the  cattle-owner,  who  seemed  to  be  quite  careless, 
or  unconscious  that  he  w'as  heard.  The  traveller 
was  himself  scanning  the  new  arrival,  who  was  a 
remarkably  fine  young  man,  about  five-and-twenty 
years  of  age  ;  and  whose  appearance,  even  in  his 
travelling  garb,  was  strikingly  that  of  the  gentle- 
man, while  the  bronzed  cheek  told  that  he  had 
been  long  exposed  to  the  sun.  The  thick,  cluster- 
ing curls  on  liis  neck,  the  short,  full,  and  glossy 
beard  which  encircled  the  lower  part  of  his  face, 
the  clear  sparkling  eye.  the  broad  chest  and  shoul- 
ders, the  firm  yet  good-natured  mouth,  and  the 
frank  and  animated  expression  of  the  whole  coun- 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  355 

tenance,  would  have  made  him  a  remarkable  per- 
son anywhere  ;  but  to  a  wanderer,  who  had  been 
so  long  from  his  own  countrymen,  and  who  had 
just  been  living  entirely  with  savages,  he  looked 
like  a  being  sent  from  another  world.  He  dis- 
mounted, and  stood  to  receive  the  soldier's  salute, 
who,  even  in  raising  his  misshapen  grass  hat  from 
his  head,  created  a  favourable  impression  ;  and  the 
courtesy  was  returned  with  a  grace  and  polish  of 
which  even  cattle-driving  in  the  wilderness  could 
not  deprive  a  man  of  birth  and  education.  "  Have 
you  come  from  Adelaide?"  asked  he.  "No," 
replied  the  military  man,  "  and  I  can  scarcely 
tell  you  in  a  few  words  where  I  do  come  from.  It  is 
now  some  months  since  I  have  seen  the  face  of  an 
European,  and  very  many  since  I  heard  my 
native  tongue  ;  I  am  Edward  Spencer,  Captain  in 

the  regiment  of  Bombay  Native   Infantry. 

Wounds  and  fatigue  sent  me  in  search  of  health ; 
my  vessel  was  wrecked  on  the  northern  coast,  and 
I  have  found  my  way  from  thence  to  where  I  now 
am  ;  part  of  the  time  with  only  my  dumb  com- 
panions, but  since  then,  the  native  whom  you  see 
has  been  added  to  my  followers,  and  to  which  ad- 
dition I  probably,  under  God's  blessing,  owe  my 
existence.  I  could  not  have  traversed  the  desert 
without  his  assistance.  It  is  now  my  turn  to  in- 
ijuii'e  who — " — "Philip  St.  John,  an  Overlander," 


356  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

said  the  yovxng  man  hastily,  holding  out  his  hand 
with  frank  cordiality  ;  "all  travellers  are,  or  ought 
to  be  friends  ;  you  must  share  my  damper  to-day." 
"  I  do  not  doubt  that  damper  may  be  very  good, 
better  food  perhaps  than  I  can  give  to  you ;  but  I 
am  the  oldest  inhabitant  of  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try, and  therefore  I  must  be  allowed  to  provide 
your  supper.  Kinchela  and  I  have  a  tolerable 
Btock  just  now,  but  our  mode  of  eating  is  very 
rough ;  therefore  if  you  have  a  canteen  with  you, 
you  had  better  furnish  yourself  with  fork  and 
spoon."  Mr.  St.  John  smiled,  and  said,  "I  ac- 
cept your  offer  with  as  much  friendliness  as  you 
-make  it ;  and  while  you  prepare  this  noble  repast, 
I  will  settle  my  men  and  my  beasts  for  the  night, 
and  when  we  have  eaten,  you  will  tell  me  some  of 
your  adventures,  will  you  not  ?  I  never  had  such 
an  insatiable  curiosity  to  know  all  about  a  per- 
son, as  I  have  had  ever  since  I  caught  sight  of 
that  plume  of  cockatoo  feathers  in  your  hat." 
"  Agreed,"  said  Captain  Spencer  ;  "people  like  to 
talk  of  themselves." 

When  Mr.  St.  John  returned,  the  supper  was 
set  out  in  pieces  of  bark,  in  a  profusion  which  sur- 
prised him.  There  were  stewed  Kangaroo  meat, 
baked  Duck,  boiled  Trefoil,  which  resembled  Spi- 
nach ;  Sorrel  salad,  Cray-fish,  and  cakes  of  Grass- 
seed  by  way  of  bread,  some  powdered  dust  which 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS  357 

resembled  vmistnrd,*  and  s;ilt  was  sn])plicd  by  small 
pieces  of  the  salsolaceuus  plants.  The  native 
Melons,  and  the  fruit  of  a  SoUinam,  which  tasted 
like  an  Apricot,  formed  the  dessert ;  and  the 
Overlander's  surprise  was  frequently  expressed  in 
warm  terms.  "  You  will  excuse  the  absence  of 
wine,"  said  his  entertainer  ;  "  my  friend  Kinchela, 
with  all  his  cleverness,  has  not  been  able  to  find 
that."  "  I  have  brandy,"  said  Mr.  St.  John,  draw- 
ing the  flask  from  his  pocket.  "  No,  keep  it  all 
for  yourself.  Such  things  and  I  have  long  been 
in  separate  quarters ;  the  only  substance  with 
which  I  have  been  able  to  flavour  water  here  has 
been  honey."  "  I  must  say,  if  this  is  your  usual 
fare  in  the  desert,  I  cannot  pity  you."  "  It  is  not  al- 
ways so  abundant ;  this  is  a  fertile  spot,  and  we  know 
how  to  take  advantage  of  it,  but  there  have  been 
times  when  our  hunger-belts  have  been  drawn  very 
tightly  round  us.  Even  here  our  bill  of  fare  might 
be  more  meagre,  if  there  had  not  been  rain  lately." 
"Yes,"  said  Mr.  St.  John,  "the  great  bane  of 
Australia  is  the  occasional  droughts,  which  I  am 
told  are  of  rarer  occurrence  on  the  western  coast. 
To  the  east  we  have  been  lately  without  rain  for 
three  years  ;  and  it  is  the  observation  of  every  one, 
that  the  climate  is  much  less  humid  than  it  was 
when  first  inhabited  by  white  men.      But  what 

*  Fn  m  the  wood  of  a  Gyrostemon,  which  is  a  tree  with  bluisb 
leare? 


358  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

have  you  made  your  bread  of?  it  is  ten  times  bet- 
ter than  my  damper,  which  is  only  flour,  water^ 
and  salt."  Captain  Spencer  told  the  Overlander, 
and  then  produced  meal  from  roots,  which  he  said 
he  should  taste  on  the  morrow.  "  Have  you  found 
a  substitute  for  tea  ?  for  there  are  some  trees  here 
which  are  said  to  taste  like  that  plant."  "  I  be- 
lieve I  know  what  you  mean ;  I  tried  some  once, 
but  did  not  like  the  flavour,  and  I  have  done  very 
well  without."  "  But  a  cigar  will  perhaps  be  a 
treat?"  "I  smoked  a  great  deal  in  India,  but 
being  now  totally  weaned  from  the  habit,  I  will  not 
resume  it.  I  have  had  a  great  many  lessons  to 
learn ;  but  I  am  thankful  for  them,  and  hope  to  be 
wiser  in  future."  A  fine  dog,  who  had  found  out  his 
master,  now  bound  towards  them,  and  received  a 
portion  of  food,  after  which  he  made  advances 
towards  Gip,  who  received  the  civilities  by  show- 
ing her  teeth  and  growling.  Mr.  St.  John  ordered 
the  dog  to  be  taken  away ;  and  while  Kinchela  put 
everything  in  order,  and  his  master  gave  him  in- 
structions for  the  morrow,  the  Overlander  made  his 
final  inspection  of  his  stock  and  men,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Captain  Spencer  to  enjoy  his  narrative. 
Kinchela  wrapped  himself  in  his  kangaroo-skins. 
Tiger  lay  down  by  his  master's  side,  and  Gipsy 
seated  herself  on  his  knees  ;  Charlie,  however,  was 
not  to  be  seen.  "  My  cautious  bird,"  said  his  mas- 
ter, "  is,  I  believe,  frightened  at  numbers.     I  must 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  359 

whistle  him  back."  The  accustomed  signal  waa 
given,  and  answered,  and  the  bird  flew  to  the  spot, 
exclaiming,  "  Charlie's  coming,  all's  right !  Boccolo, 
Sahib,  Ned  Spencer  !"  "What  an  extraordinary 
creature  !"  said  the  Overlander  ;  "  how  can  he  kno-w 
what  to  say?"  "He  has  been  a  great  amusement 
to  me,"  replied  the  traveller,  "  and  I  have  taught 
him  certain  sentences  for  certain  occasions,  so  that 
when  these  occasions  recur,  he  always  repeats 
them ;  I  cannot  tell  you  what  a  comfort  this  bird 
was  to  me,  when  I  had  no  other  thing  to  speak  to ; 
and  he  really  is  a  droll,  sensible  creature,  full  of 
sly  gravity  and  impudence."  "I  hope  you  are 
not  sleepy,"  said  Mr.  St.  John,  "  for  I  must  have 
your  history  directly."  The  talking  continued  far 
into  the  night,  Mr!  St.  John  occasionally  inter- 
rupting the  narrator  by  his  observations  and  ques- 
tions, and  then  both  slept  from  exhaustion.  In  the 
morning,  when  they  had  bathed,  and  resumed  their 
dress,  Mr.  St.  John,  tucking  his  arm  within  that 
of  his  new  friend,  said,  "  Come  with  me  and  in- 
spect the  men  and  the  stock  ;  my  drovers  are  good, 
honest  fellows,  and  come  from  Scotland  ;  and  the 
natives  make  very  good  servants  in  this  way,  for 
here  they  are  not  tempted  to  drink.  Do  you  know 
that  I  cannot  go  away  to-day  ?  I  mean  to  be  still 
your  guest,  as  you  have  already  taken  upon  your- 
self the  office  of  host.     I  must  talk  a  great  deaJ 


360         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

more  with  you,  and  hear  about  the  capabilities  of 
Western  Australia  for  cattle-farms." 

The  friends  breakfasted,  and  then  the  Over- 
lander  said,  "  Spencer,  jou  must  turn  back,  and 
come  with  me  to  Adelaide;  I  expect  to  make  a 
good  round  sum  of  my  cattle  there,  and  you  shall 
share  it,  and  start  with  me  on  another  expedition. 
You  know  the  country,  you  know  many  of  the  na- 
tives, and  I  suspect  we  must  shortly  find  a  new 
field,  into  which  we  must  conduct  our  enterprises; 
already  the  Murray,  the  twin  river  of  the  Darling, 
and  much  the  finer  of  the  two,  has  its  banks  lined 
witn  cattle  stations,  and  the  whole  country  will 
soon  be  covered  Avith  them ;  we  are  the  pioneers, 
and  perhaps  we  might,  for  our  lifetime,  find  spots 
enough  between  this  and  Adelaide.  But  the  min- 
ing property  there  increases,  and  the  agricultural 
must,  in  a  measure,  suffer.  Where  we  now  stand, 
there  will  probably,  in  a  few  years,  be  the  home- 
stead of  some  settler ;  the  plain  will  be  divided 
into  pastures,  and  the  hills  into  sheep-folds ;  but 
you  will  come  with  me,  Spencer  ?"  "  You  for- 
get," replied  his  friend,  "  that  I  am  a  soldier  on 
leave  of  absence,  and  that  I  am  not  my  own  mas- 
ter. I  confess,  that  were  it  not  a  point  of  honour 
and  duty,  I  should  be  somewhat  tempted ;  for  if 
my  wanderings  have  brought  suffering,  they  have 
not  been  without  their  charms ;  and  with  such  a 
companion  as  you  are,  I  would  willingly  go  all  over 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  361 

the  ground  again,  except  the  stony  desert."  "  But 
what  is  your  black  fellow  about  in  the  river?"  in- 
terrupted the  Overlander.  "Diving  for  fish,  for 
our  dinner."  "  Eeally,  you  know  all  the  resources 
of  the  country  ;  you  are  exactly  the  man  :  I  should 
blunder  through  Avith  that  heavy  damper,  brandy 
and  mutton,  which  we  cook  in  a  great  pot;  while 
you,  with  your  more  acute  perceptions,  turn  every 
thing  to  account  with  absolute  refinement.  "  And 
yet,"  said  the  soldier,  "it  has  only  been  for  the 
gratification  of  my  appetite."  "  Depend  on  it,  it 
would  be  the  same  in  everything."  "You  are 
complimentary ;  I  must  teach  you  some  of  our 
secrets ;  come  and  see  our  oven,  now  going  to 
work  upon  the  stock  for  our  future  journey.  I 
have  had  the  supply  doubled  for  you,  which  may 
last  a  few  days." 

Mr.  St.  John  was  so  pleased  with  the  oven,  that 
he  called  his  men  to  inspect  it,  and  watched  the 
process  of  Kinchela's  and  Captain  Spencer's 
arrangements :  the  steaming  with  wet  grass  waa 
first  performed ;  then  the  oven  was  cleaned  again, 
heated,  and  made  fit  for  baking,  and  just  as  it  was 
closed  for  that  purpose,  Charlie  flew  back,  saying, 
"Boccolo,  Ned  Spencer;  such  a  row!"  and  sta- 
tioned himself  near  Tiger.  "There  are  natives 
near,  and  in  numbers,  too,"  said  his  master;  "I 
have  taught  him  to  give  me  this  warning,  and  I 
would  advise  you  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  them. 
31 


362  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

They  are  always  more  or  less  afraid  of  cattle  and 
horses  ;  but  some  of  the  tribes  about  here  are  very 
mischievous,  and  where  you  least  expect  them,  the 
plains  will  teem  with  their  numbers." 

The  guns  were  loaded,  and  watch  set,  when 
Kinchela,  mounting  a  tree,  told  his  master  that 
there  w^ere  "plenty  black  fellows"  to  the  west  of 
them,  and  Captain  Spencer  advised  that  a  volley, 
of  powder  only,  should  be  fired  in  that  direction, 
which  would  probably  disperse  them.  The  orders 
were  given  and  obeyed,  and  the  hostile  p:!';ty  de- 
camped;  but  the  travellers  now  joined  th'.  Over- 
landers,  and  took  their  turns  in  watching. 

Kinchela  was  most  successful  in  his  captures 
and  cooking,  and  so  pleased  at  the  praises  which 
he  received,  that,  of  his  own  accord,  he  again  re- 
paii'ed  to  the  river,  and  when  the  Overlanders 
departed,  had  a  quantity  of  fish  ready  for  them. 
"That  native  lad,"  said  Mr.  St.  John,  "is  already 
half-civilized."  "I  have  done  my  best,"  observed 
Captain  Spencer,  "  and  I  am  surprised  at  my  own 
success ;  I  believe  he  now  prays  with  a  tolerable 
notion  why  he  does  so  ;  the  trial  will  be  at  Sydney, 
where  I  may  not  be  able  to  attend  to  him  as  closely 
as  I  could  wish.  But  wdiy  do  you  not  try  to  edu- 
cate your  natives  ?"  "  Because  I  never  thought 
of  it,  in  the  first  place  ;  and  in  the  second,  I  should 
have  much  to  undo ;  they  hr^ve  all  either  been 
born  among  white  men,  or  lived  with  them  from 


AUSTllALIAN     WANLERERS.  363 

their  earliest  age,  seen  the  worst  of  our  people, 
and  their  slight  degree  of  taming  has  taken  from 
their  energy,  without  planting  anything  in  return. 
It  has  often  come  across  me,  how  unjustly  we, 
generally  speaking,  behave  to  these  aborigines." 
"Among  them,"  observed  Captain  Spencer,  "are 
some  of  superior  intellect,  such  as  Warrup  and 
Ugat ;  but  I  do  not  know  if  they  are  capable  of 
receiving  instruction ;  has  it  been  tried?"  "Yes," 
answered  Mr.  St.  John ;  "I  do  not  know  much 
about  Sydney,  but  there  are  schools  there,  and  at 
Adelaide  they  have  learned  to  read,  write,  and 
cipher  with  facility.  I  do  hope  that  the  amount 
of  their  degradation  will  be  diminished  at  every  new 
settlement,  and  that  we  shall  never  again  hear  of 
their  being  fired  upon  like  so  many  wild  beasts, 
or  being  executed  according  to  our  laws,  which 
they  do  not  understand,  and  in  utter  ignorance 
that  they  had  committed  any  crime.  Their  greatest 
vice  about  Sydney  is  their  intoxication,  which,  you 
know,  prevents  all  progress.  What  you  told  me 
last  night,  about  their  inherited  hunting-grounds, 
prevented  me  from  sleeping  soundly,  and  long  be- 
fore you  were  awake,  my  mind  was  labouring  under 
a  feeling  of  usurpation,  which  made  me  very  un- 
comfortable ;  and  yet,  how  are  they  to  be  civilized, 
and  receive  the  blessings  of  Christianity,  unless 
we  come  among  them  ?  That  aboriginal  question 
is  a  difficult  one  to  settle,  and  only  of  two  things 


364  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

can  we  be  certain — that  we  have  no  right  to  treat 
them  ill,  and  that  we  cannot  blame  them,  when, 
after  we  have  usurped  their  lands,  and  driven  Kan- 
garoo away,  as  they  say,  which,  in  other  words, 
is  to  deprive  them  of  their  sustenance,  they  strive 
to  turn  us  out  by  the  only  means  in  their  power, 
physical  force,  administered  in  the  only  style  of 
warfare  with  which  they  are  acquainted." 

"Did  you  not  see  the  Murray  at  all?"  con- 
tmued  Mr.  St.  John,  after  a  pause.  "I  cannot 
answer  any  geographical  questions,"  replied  Cap- 
tain Spencer  ;  "  without  a  chart,  and  with  an  erring 
compass,  I  can  but  guess  at  what  I  saw,  furthei 
than  that  I  was  in  the  Bight  of  Australia,  to  the 
east  of  King  George's  Sound,  and  that  I  believe 
I  skirted  Lake  Torrens.  You  tell  me  we  are  now 
on  the  Darlino;."  "It  is  well  for  me,"  returned 
his  friend,  "  that  you  are  here,  because  I  have 
met  you ;  but  you  would  have  been  delighted  with 
the  Murray,  which  is  never,  like  this  river,  re- 
duced to  a  chain  of  ponds,  but  flows  continuously, 
and  overflows  its  low  lands  every  year,  at  the  rate 
of  an  inch  per  day,  and  has  a  course  of  from 
thirteen  to  fifteen  hundred  miles.  In  many  places 
it  is  bordered  by  yellow,  perpendicular  cliffs,  in 
which  are  to  be  found  not  only  shells,  but  various 
bones  and  sharks'  teeth.  The  land  to  the  south 
of  it  is  grassy,  and  full  of  beautiful  flowers,  chiefly 
Orchidae  of  eve  "y  colour  ;  and  beyond  this  are  low 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     365 

sand-hills,  leading  to  flats  like  dry  sea-marshes, 
covered  with  salsolaceous  plants,  which  are  very 
wholesome  for  the  occasional  feeding  of  cattle. 
There  is  a  sort  of  liquorice,  too,  which  grows  on 
these  plains,  and  the  beautiful  Nitraria  Australis 
is  abundant  on  the  southern  bank,  which  the  na- 
tives eat  raw,  stem  and  all.  I  presume  that  what 
are  called  the  Darling  Downs  will  be  converted 
into  cattle  stations,  and  I  do  not  see  why  they 
should  not  be  as  fine  a  pasture  district  as  that  of 
Port  Philip  and  its  neighbourhood,  called  Aus- 
tralia Felix ;  though  the  distance  from  a  sea-port 
would  make  the  transport  of  wool,  hides,  and  tal- 
low, rather  difficult." 

"  You  were  speaking  of  the  mines  of  Adelaide,' 
said  Captain  Spencer ;  "  what  do  they  find  in 
them  ?  The  natives  with  whom  I  lived  told  me 
they  knew  Adelaide  well,  and  said  there  were  many 
men  there  who  went  to  the  mountains,  dug  very 
deep  holes,  and  got  heavy  stones  out  of  them.  I 
am  sure  I  have  almost  everywhere  seen  plenty  of 
iron  in  large  pure  masses,  as  well  as  mixed  with 
sand  and  other  things  ;  also  copper,  after  I  left 
Lake  Torrens,  and  I  suspect  gold."  "Just  the 
.very  j;hings,"  replied  Mr.  St.  John  ;  "  both  Mount 
Barker  and  Mount  Lofty,  whicli,  by  the  by,  are 
fossiliferous,  are  crossed  by  igneous  rocks,  con- 
taining rich  metallic  veins,  and  Adelaide  stands 
upon  the  same  sort  of  soil.  In  Mount  Lofty,  on 
31* 


366  AUSTRAI>IAN     WANDERERS. 

which  grow  hirge  stringy  bark  trees,  is  what  is 
called  the  Burra  Burra  stone,  which  yields  an 
enormous  supply  of  copper,  and  in  Mount  Barker 
lead  is  found ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  say  where 
metals  do  not  exist  in  that,  district;  the  small 
quantity  of  gold  which  has  been  met  with  is  of 
the  purest  kind,  and  there  are  indications  of  quick- 
silver. The  copper  was  discovered  in  1848,  by  a 
Mr.  Dutten ;  and  considerable  difficulty  arose  in 
making  the  mines  profitable,  from  being  obliged 
to  send  the  ore  to  England  to  be  smelted,  which 
was  very  expensive ;  now,  however,  some  one  has 
come  from  England  who  has  established  smelting 
works,  and  the  mines  go  on  like  Avild  fire.  The 
Burra  Burra  galleries  are  cut  through  solid  blocks  of 
ore,  and  every  precious  stone  has  been  found  there 
except  the  Diamond,  especially  Opal  of  the  most 
precious  kinds.  The  mines  are  Avorked  by  asso- 
ciations, or  companies,  and  more  than  a  thousand 
men  are  employed  in  them.  The  Burra  Burra 
last  year  yielded  a  profit  of  52,000/.,  Avhich  was 
distributed  among  individuals."  "  How  far  are 
these  mines  from  the  town  of  Adelaide  ?"  asked 
Captain  Spencer.  "  Ninety  miles,"  was  the  re- 
ply :  "  the  district  in  wnich  they  are  situated  is 
very  barren,  and  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
colony  by  a  range  of  high  hills,  which  is  rather  an 
obstacle  to  the  conveyance  of  the  ore  to  the  port. 
At  present  it  is  all  carried  by  bullock-di  ays  ;  and 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  367 

much  difficulty  would,  I  think,  be  found  in  making 
a  tram-road  across.  The  expenses  of  working 
will,  I  suppose,  be  diminished  by  the  discovery  of 
coal  near  Sydney  ;  but  a  mine  of  that  mineral  near 
Adelaide  would  be  invaluable."  "  Could  I  not  see 
these  metallic  mountains  from  Lake  Torrens  ?" 
inquired  Captain  Spencer.  "  I  should  think  not," 
said  Mr.  St.  John,  "  for  they  are  not  of  great  ele- 
vation ;  they  run  from  north  to  south,  and  are 
about  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  broad.  No  one  knows 
what  may  happen  there  ;  for  two  shocks  of  earth- 
quakes have  been  felt  in  Adelaide,  and  these  cannot 
occur  often  without  causing  alterations.  Among 
other  odd  things,  I  was  once  at  Adelaide,  when 
some  remarkable  visitations  of  birds*  occurred  in 
the  town  and  neighbourhood ;  you  could  almost 
have  walked  upon  them,  and  they  remindpd  me 
of  locusts,  only  that  they  were  not  destructive. 
They  were  never  before  seen  there,  and  have  never 
returned." 

"  With  these  mining  riches  I  should  suppose, 
then,  that  /Vdelaide  will  never  be  conspicuous  as  an 
agricultural  colony."  It  has  many  cnpubilities  for 
such  ;  and  there  is  a  sort  of  cotton-tree  there, 
very  like  the  real  Gossypium,  called  Sturtia,  after 
that  brave  Captain  Sturt,  who  bus  been  further 
into  the  interior  than  any  one  else;  unless,  indeed, 
you  exceeded  him."     "  1  dare  say  I  did  not;  fot 

*  Tribuayx. 


368  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

he  probably  carried  water  and  food  with  him.  * 
"  Well !  you  have  done  wonders.  I  cannot  think 
how  you  contrived  to  find  out  what  was  good  to 
eat  when  left  by  yourself."  "  I  certainly  was 
puzzled,  because  the  general  knowledge  which  I 
possessed  turned  out  to  be  of  little  or  no  use.  I 
knew  that  it  was  dangerous  to  meddle  with  Umbel- 
liferge ;  but  I  only  met  with  two  specimens  in  the 
West,  one  of  which  was  the  Wild  Carrot ;  but 
when  a  man  depends  entirely  on  himself,  his  wits 
are  sharpened,  and  thoughts  are  put  into  his  head. 
I  made  one  or  two  mistakes,  as  that  of  the  Zamia 
nuts ;  and  of  course,  without  Kinchela,  I  should 
never  have  thought  of  eating  the  roots  of  the  Gum- 
trees,  and  some  other  things.  Tiger's  sagacity 
often  directed  me,  and  Gip  brought  me  many  a 
meal.  But  a  word  or  two  more  concerning  the 
natives  ;  if  I  have  spoken  favourably  enough  of 
them  to  interest  you  in  their  behalf,  it  is  not  be- 
cause I  am  insensible  to  their  defects  ;  for  while  I 
make  allowance  on  the  score  of  their  being  savages, 
I  must  not  conceal  from  you  that,  in  some  points, 
their  morality  is  even  more  lax  than  any  I  ever 
hoard  of;  and  I  should  think  the  females  the  most 
degraded  and  ill-treated  of  the  human  race;  3'et 
they  are  capable  of  gratitude  and  attachment.  All 
these  people  know  they  must  be  conquered  eventu- 
ally by  the  white  race ;  but  this  does  not  subdue 
their  energetic  spirit.      While  I  t)-y  to  enlist  you 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDEREKS.        369 

m  their  behalf,  I  must  caution  you  against  the  ex- 
treme cunnmg,  which  they  consider  to  be  a  virtue 
Recollect  they  are  never  without  their  weapons ; 
and  while  they  appear  to  be  unarmed,  their  spears 
and  clubs  are  concealed  close  by.  Even  while 
they  have  advanced  with  boughs  in  their  hands,  as 
tokens  of  peace,  they  have  been  dragging  their 
spears  through  the  grass  between  their  toes,  not 
for  any  premeditated  attack  on  me,  but  fear  that 
I  should  be  treacherous.  Nomadic  as  they  are, 
you  may  meet  with  my  friends ;  and  I  am  sure  my 
name,  Boccolo  Tence,  as  they  call  me,  will  awaken 
kind  recollection  ;  but  on  this  they  may  build  ex- 
tortionate demands.  I  owe  them  some  reparation 
for  the  life  which  self-preservation  obliged  me  to 
sacrifice ;  and  I  should  like  to  extort  a  promise 
from  you,  that  you  would  never  fire  upon  to  hurt 
them,  till  you  have  given  time  for  their  first  im- 
pulse to  subside ;  nevertheless,  trust  them  not,  en- 
tirely, at  any  time."  "  But  you  trust  Kinchela  ?" 
"I  do,  because  I  consider  him  as  peculiarly  situ- 
ated, and  utterly  separated  from  the  influence  of 
tribe  and  relations ;  and  moreover  my  destruction 
would  probably  involve  his  own.  But  you  start 
to-morrow,  you  say?" 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  feel  that  some  account  of  myself 
is  due  to  you.  Brought  up  at  Eton,  and  a  younger 
son,  I  was  intended  for  the  army  ;  but  in  peaceful 
timer>  your  Indian  service  is  the  only  one  of  acti- 


370  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

vity,  and  I  felt  myself  full  of  enterprise  an<l 
Btrengtli.  I  therefore  asked  my  father  to  ghe  me 
my  younger  son's  portion,  and  let  me  make  my 
own  way.  My  lady  mother — kind,  good  soul — was 
shocked  at  the  idea  of  my  coming  to  a  convict  land, 
which  was  all  she  knew  of  it ;  but  I  talked  her 
over,  and  here  I  am.  This  is  my  third  overland 
journey,  and  I  have  been  successful.  It  was  my 
intention  to  return  as  soon  as  I  had  acquired  a 
certain  sum  ;  but  at  present  there  is  a  charm  in 
this  wild  life  which  attaches  me  to  the  place,  and  I 
feel  as  if  I  could  not  as  yet  go  back  to  the  old-world 
forms.  Moreover,  from  your  conversation,  new 
thoughts  have  come  over  me,  and  I  appear  to  have 
a  higher  purpose.  If  I  do  ever  acquire  influence, 
I  promise  to  do  all  the  good  I  can.  But  how  shall 
I  hear  from  you ;  for  you  must  nurture  the  good 
feelings  which  have  sprung  from  you  ?  I  must 
make  you  a  chart  for  your  guidance,  and  while  I 
do  so,  give  me  your  instructions."  Thus  speak- 
ing, Mr.  St.  John  took  some  paper  from  his  pocket- 
book,  and  sketched  the  route  which  his  friend  ought 
to  follow.  He  then  wrote  an  introduction  for  him 
to  a  Mr.  Onslow,  the  proprietor  of  an  estate  on  the 
Hunter  river. 

Putting  the  papers  into  Captain  Spencer's  hand, 
the  Overlander  continued  to  speak,  saying,  "  I 
have  noted  down  a  few  landmarks.  You  must 
make  northing,  and  then  co-no  south  again,  and 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.         371 

you  will  have  to  cross  yon  blue  mountains.  My 
friends,  the  Onslo^YS,  will  i^eceive  you  with  affection 
for  my  sake,  and  will  put  you  in  the  way  of  getting 
to  Sydney.  Hospitality  is  everywhere  shown  in  this 
country  ;  but  do  not  be  tempted  to  stay  anywhere 
except  with  the  Onslows.  I  think  you  will  be  at 
first  taken  for  a  bush-ranger  ;  in  fact,  that  was  my 
first  opinion  of  you,  and  I  believe  it  was  your  ele- 
gant hat  that  put  it  into  my  head."  "  Not  a  word 
against  my  hat,"  interrupted  Captain  Spencer, 
with  mock  gravity ;  "it  is  a  sample  of  my  genius, 
and  the  most  comfortable  head-covering  I  ever 
had."  "Well,"  resumed  his  friend,  "ask  your 
commander-in-chief  to  adopt  it  in  the  regiment ;  but 
I  must  put  you  on  your  guard  against  these  escaped 
felons,  for  you  are  coming  into  their  neighbourhood. 
Their  impudence  and  daring  are  sometimes  even 
laughable,  and  their  cool  courage  worthy  of  a  bet- 
ter cause  ;  but  they  are,  nevertheless,  troublesome 
companions,  and  murder  is  not  unfrequent  among 
them.  Now  for  your  address."  "  I  had  better 
give  you  that  of  my  agent  in  Bombay;  always  put 
your  name  outside  your  letters,  as  I  shall  have  es- 
pecial orders  about  them.  I  can  scarcely  believe 
that  we  met  as  strangers  the  day  before  yesterday, 
and  now  that  it  is  such  pain  to  part."  "  My  dear 
fellow,"  said  the  Overlander,  "  believe  that  this 
feeling  is  mutual.  I  am  sure  we  shall  meet  again." 
"If  not  here,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  lifting  the 


372  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

despised  grass  hat  from  his  head,  "  we  shall  when 
both  are  called  up  for  our  final  judgment ;  and  may 
we  be  admitted  together  into  that  Heaven  which 
is,  or  ought  to  be,  the  object  of  our  existence  ! 
My  lonely  travels,  my  marvellous  preservation,  the 
majesty  of  the  wilderness,  have  made  me  a  deeper 
thinker  than  I  have  yet  been  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt 
the  best  lessons  for  both  of  us  have  been  learned 
in  Australia." 

A  pause  ensued  for  a  few  moments,  which  was 
broken  by  the  quick,  ardent  Overlander.  "  Do 
not  suppose,"  said  he,  "that  I  am  unobservant  of 
the  highest  of  all  duties ;  your  books  were  all 
drowned,  therefore  you  shall  have  my  pocket 
Bible."  So  saying,  he  put  the  sacred  volume 
into  ^he  hands  of  the  traveller.  A  flush  of  plea- 
sure crimsoned  the  sun-burnt  cheek  of  the  soldier. 
"It  is,  indeed,  a  treasure,"  he  said;  "but  what 
can  I  bestow  in  return  ?  unless,  indeed,  you 
will  have  my  hat  ?"  "Not  your  hat,  but  bestow 
the  plume  upon  me,  which  I  will  keep  for  your 
Bake  for  ever ;  but  we  can  exchange  pistols,  though, 
not  shots,"  added  he,  smiling,  "and  that  will 
be  another  remembrance  between  us  :  the  supe- 
rior value  of  yours  shall  be  your  present ;  you 
will  soon  manage  mine.  Teach  Charlie  to  say 
Philip." 

Fish  and  roots  were  supplied  as  plentifully  as 
time  would  allow  by  Kinchela,  who  had  been  ac- 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  373 

kive  in  procuring  and  preparing  them ;  the  cattle 
were  in  motion,  the  friends  shook  hands  in  silence, 
but  a  liquid  lustre  glistened  in  the  eyes  of  each. 
Captain  Spencer  watched  the  Overlanders  till  they 
were  about  to  enter  a  wood ;  handkerchiefs  were 
waved  for  the  last  time,  and  then  he  thoughtfully 
and  sadly  turned  towards  the  river.  "Come, 
Kinchela,"  said  he,  "let  us  cross  directly;  and 
since  we  have  a  sheep  for  our  dinner,  we  need  not 
stop  to  get  more  provisions."  "  Boccolo  too  much 
sorry,"  said  the  native  ;  "  but  we  soon  see  plenty 
more  white  fellows.  Kinchela  get  roots."  The 
little  party  forded  the  river  in  safety,  and  taking 
the  direction  pointed  out  by  Mr.  St.  John,  they 
bent  their  way  to  the  long-desired  settlement. 
32 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Oaptain  Spencer  romantic  —  Birds  —  Native — Captain  Spence. 
catches  him,  and  relieves  his  hunger — Fairy-like  plains — Bui 
comes  down  the  hills,  and  gentlemen  on  horseback  after  him— « 
Insects,  and  their  webs  and  nests — Harry  Blunt  attacks  Captain 
Spencer — Harry  caught  and  overcome — His  companion  stunned 
— Captain  Spencer  kind  to  the  bush-ranger — Captain  Spencer 
goes  on — Forest  flowers — Wooden  pear — Lemons — Flying  foxes 
— Native  cherry — Beautiful  plants — Green  frogs — Lizards — Out- 
station — Shepherds — Laughing  Jackass — Robin — Knife-grinder 
— Fish  and  its  nest — Storm— Sorcerers  make  storms — Pine  forest 
— Plants — Metamorphosis  of  beetle — Head  keeper's  station — 
Captain  Spencer  hospitably  received — Tall  black  man's  history — 
Harry  Blunt's  visits — Head  keeper  and  wife  very  kind  and  ho8- 
pitable — Untidy  and  deserted  stations — Deserted  townships — 
Ascend  mountains — Meet  drays — Ants — Come  to  the  river — Ar- 
rival at  Mr.  Onslow's  farms. 

The  spirit  of  romance  came  strongly  upon  Cap- 
tain Spencer,  and  a  lingering  regret  that  he  had 
not  turned  back  with  Mr.  St.  John  seemed  to  fet- 
ter his  endeavours  to  move  fast  onwards.  Early 
in  the  evening,  he  seated  himself  where,  from  the 
rising  ground,  through  the  open  forest,  he  could 
at  some  distance  behold  the  spot  where  he  had 
parted  with  his  friend,  and  calling  Charlie  to  him, 
he  endeavoured  to  teach  him  that  friend's  name. 
The  bird,  however,  stammered  so  much  at  the  sur- 
name, and  pronounced  it  so  badly,  even  after  re- 
( 374 ) 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     375 

peated  eiForts,  that  his  master  was  obliged  to  con- 
fine himself  to  the  word  of  Philip ;  and  Charlie 
most  triumphantly  for  a  few  days  screamed  out 
"Friend  Philip,"  as  he  always  did  every  new  ac- 
quirement, and  then  laid  it  by  in  his  memory  to 
come  out  with  it  again  when  least  expected.  As 
his  master  sat  with  his  eyes  still  gazing  in  the 
direction  taken  by  his  late  most  congenial  com- 
panion, his  reverie  was  suddenly  interrupted  by 
the  Laughing  Jackass,  and  its  merry  peals  seemed 
to  mock  his  sadness.  "Vile  bird  !"  he  exclaimed ; 
again  came  the  cheerful  sound,  repeated  in  various 
directions,  till  at  last  Charlie  himself  caught  the 
note,  burst  into  a  loud  "Ha,  ha!"  and  seemed  to 
go  into  fits  of  laughter :  it  was  irresistible ;  Kin- 
chela  caught  the  infection,  both  Tiger  and  Gip 
pricked  up  their  ears,  and  Captain  Spencer  himself 
joined  in  the  chorus. 

There  were  still  many  weary  miles  to  go,  and 
the  travellers  started  early  on  the  following  day. 
The  scenery  became  more  than  ever  beautiful,  and 
birds,  insects,  and  fiowers  multiplied  upon  them, 
the  former  to  a  much  greater  degree  than  Charlie 
liked,  for  Cockatoos,  Parrots,  Parrakeets,  common 
as  Sparrows  in  England,  drove  him  to  Tiger's 
back,  where  he  sat  m.uttering  to  himself,  "  Rogues  ! 
scoundrels  !"  Then  there  were  Pigeons,  Quails, 
the    native    Turkey,*   with    its  small    portion    of 

*  Talegalla. 


576    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

brains,  having  a  nest  constructed  like  that  of  the 
Leipoa  ;  the  noble  Crane,*  the  Wood-Swallows,t 
which  huddle  together  like  a  swarm  of  bees ;  im- 
mense Nightjars,  which  lie  under  the  trees  and 
bushes  all  day ;  and  many  old  acquaintances  from 
the  south  and  west,  all  affording  food,  or  subjects 
for  admiration.  On  watching  by  the  fire  in  the 
night,  however.  Captain  Spencer  heard  the  notes 
of  several  new  birds,  and  the  little  flying  Opossum 
dropped  from  bough  to  bough.  Both  men  never 
slept  at  the  same  time  ;  for  the  country  was  thickly 
inhabited,  and  as  they  passed  during  the  day,  they 
frequently  saw  natives  peeping  at  them  from  be- 
hind the  trees.  On  one  occasion,  Gip,  whose 
recent  education  had  taught  her  not  to  bark  sud- 
denly, raised  her  head,  and  gave  a  low  whine. 
"It  is  a  native,"  thought  the  Englishman;  "I 
wonder  if  he  be  going  to  spear  me."  He  made 
the  peculiar  cry  which  he  had  learnt  of  the  tribes 
on  the  other  part  of  the  Darling,  but  no  answer 
was  returned  ;  he  uttered  another,  and  another, 
but  there  was  no  response.  "  We  are  mistaken, 
Gip,"  said  he,  and  he  rested  his  head  upon  his 
knees.  In  about  half  an  hour  Gip  was  again  un- 
easy, and  sat  upright;  the  noise  was  repeated, 
and  it  was  scarcely  louder  than  if  a  fly  had  touched 
a  leaf,  but  it  was  a  little  nearer.  Captain  Spen- 
cer's   gun  was    close    to  him  on  the  ground,  the 

*  Antigone  Grus  Australasianua.  f  Artamus  sordidus. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  371 

rustling  wiis  repeated,  and  Gip  had  an  inward  con- 
;''ulsion,  as  if  to  stifle  her  bark,  and  then  there 
was  a  sh'ght  movement  of  the  gun.  "  Aha !" 
thought  the  traveller,  "  you  do  not  know  that  it 
is  fastened  round  my  wrist  with  a  leathern  thong." 
A  hand  was  laid  upon  the  gun,  and  Captain  Spen- 
cer grasped  it.  "  To  him,  Gip  !"  said  he,  and  in  a 
moment  the  dog  had  a  leg  between  her  teeth. 
Kinchela  was  roused.  "  Kinchela,  get  up,"  said 
Charlie,  half  asleep  :  and  although  he  made  violent 
eftbrts  to  escape,  the  intruder  was  caught.  "  You 
speak  Inglis  ?"  said  Kinchela  ;  the  man  was  silent. 
"Boccolo  very  good  man,"  continued  Kinchela, 
"  only  black  fellow  say  if  plenty  more  wid  him." 
No  notice  was  taken  of  this  speech,  and  then  Cap- 
tain Spencer  tried  to  make  him  speak,  by  address- 
ing him  in  a  gentle  tone  of  voic^.  The  man  fell 
on  his  knees  before  him,  and  in  broken  English 
entreated  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  go  away. 
"  Where  do  you  come  from  ?"  asked  Captain 
Spencer:  "why  did  you  try  to  take  my  gun?" 
"Oh,  massa,"  said  the  man,  "they  tint  pcor 
black  fellow,  they  kill  him  ;  he  want  gun  to  save 
him,  he  no  touch  massa ;  let  him  go,  poor  fellow, 
let  him  go."  "Are  you  hungry?"  asked  Cap- 
tain Spencer.  "Berry  hungry,"  was  the  answer. 
"  Kinchela,  blow  up  the  fire,  so  as  to  let  me  see 
the  man,  and  then  give  him  something  to  eat." 
Provision  was  now  put  into  his  hand,  and  CaptaiD 
32* 


378         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Spencer  said,  "  Here  is  something  to  eat ;  never 
take  anything  from  a  white  man  which  he  does  not 
give  you.  Let  go,  Gip,"  and  then  relaxing  his 
own  hold,  the  man  was  free  ;  he  paused  for  a  mo 
ment,  as  if  wishing  to  say  something,  but  the  words 
died  within  his  lips,  and  he  darted  away  with 
almost  incredible  speed.  "  That  black  fellow," 
said  Kinchela,  "  do  something  very  bad."  "Why 
do  you  think  so?"  "Because  he  not  got  spear, 
not  got  waddie,  not  gin.  He  run  away  when  Boc- 
colo  good  to  him." 

The  next  morning  the  travellers  were  up  early, 
and  a  short  time  after,  they  found  a  bag  on  the 
ground,  such  as  the  women  carry.  "  That  black 
fellow  had  his  gin,"  said  Kinchela  ;  "  here  is  her 
bag."  "Look  intj  it,  and  see  what  is  inside," 
said  Captain  Spencer.  Three  snakes,  some  small 
mucilaginous  fishes,  and  a  woman's  skull,  were  all 
the  contents.  "  What  is  this  for  ?"  asked  the 
Englishman.  "  For  black  fellow  to  drink  out  of," 
answered  Kinchela;  "perhaps  it  was  the  gin's 
mother."  Captain  Spencer  shrugged  his  shoul- 
derS;  and  said,  "put  some  cakes  of  meal  into  the 
bag,  ";nd  leave  it  wheie  you  found  it.  I  dare  say 
the  woman  will  return,  and  is  not  very  far  off  even 
DOW." 

Leaving  the  river,  the  party  crossed  some  ex- 
quisite and  fairy-looking  plains,  bounded  by  sand- 
hills ;  and  as  they  came  near  to  the  latter,  they 


AUSTRALIAN     \V  A  K  D  E  K  E  R  S  .  379 

saw  a  large  bull  leaping  and  gliding  down  the  very 
steep  sides  as  if  it  were  mad.  As  soon  as  it  gained 
the  level  ground,  it  started  off  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, with  its  tail  erect ;  and  made  for  the  forest 
which  Captain  Spencer  had  just  left.  Immedi- 
ately after  him  came  two  horsemen  and  their  dogs, 
down  the  same  apparently  impracticable  descent. 
One  of  the  large  dogs  lost  his  footing,  and  rolled 
down ;  but,  after  stopping  a  minute  to  recover  his 
breath,  he  got  up,  shook  himself,  and  bounded 
after  the  others,  in  pursuit  of  the  noble  bull.  The 
horses  slid  down  upon  their  haunches,  the  riders 
(evidently  Englishmen)  keeping  a  sharp  pull  upon 
their  mouths ;  and  when  arrived  at  the  bottom, 
away  they  went  as  hard  as  they  could,  without 
seeing  Kinchela  or  his  master.  "  That  is  the 
boldest  riding  I  ever  saw,"  said  Captain  Spencer; 
"  they  must  be  hunting  stray  cattle ;  but  thia 
makes  it  evident  that  we  are  now  approaching  the 
precincts  of  white  men  ;  and  strange  to  say,  my 
caution  and  vigilance  must  be  redoubled."  He 
looked  well  to  his  rifle  and  pistols,  and  told  Kin- 
chela  to  keep  his  spears  ready,  but  to  be  sure  not 
to  throw  them  without  orders. 

On  went  the  quartett,  through  forest  and  glade, 
traversing  the  most  luxuriant  country.  An  infi- 
nite variety  of  insects  were  to  be  seen ;  curious- 
looking,  spotted  Caterpillars  with  turned-up  tails ; 
brown  Butterflies;    a  variety  of  large  brown  or 


380  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

yellow  Locusts  with  black  marks ;  Moths  with 
fringed  antennae,  of  peculiar  shape ;  Pangolin 
Flies,  which  stung  Tiger  ;  Phasm  Beetles  of  sin- 
gular form  ;  Spiders  with  thick  hairy  legs  ;  Epeirge, 
which  spun  yellow  webs  as  they  do  in  Borneo  ;  and 
numbers  of  curious  insect-nests,  hanging  so  plen- 
tifully upon  the  trees  as  to  look  like  fruit.  They 
were  formed  of  a  very  thick  web,  and  strength- 
ened outside  with  pieces  of  small  twigs,  neatly 
rounded  at  the  ends,  and  made  to  adhere  to  the 
web.  Captain  Spencer  destroyed  one,  and  found 
it  lined  with  a  soft,  white,  silken  web,  within  which 
was  a  large  white  caterpillar ;  a  discovery  which 
he  did  not  impart  to  Kinchela,  fearing  he  would 
stop  and  destroy  all  the  nests  for  the  sake  of  eat- 
ing the  inhabitants.  There  were  many  ants  of 
different  kinds,  one  of  which  amused  Captain  Spen- 
cer, as  he  sat  at  breakfast  one  morning,  by  mak- 
•  ng  a  perpendicular  hole  in  the  ground,  round  the 
ntrance  of  which  it  built  a  wall,  sloping  outwards 
".n  the  rhape  of  a  funnel.  While  watching  this 
clever  little  workman,  he  heard  a  noise  like  the 
growling  of  a  dog,  and  thinking  it  might  be  a 
Dingo  come  to  attack  Gip,  hastily  turned  to  drive 
it  away ;  but  he  saw  nothing  save  a  bfeck  Beetle, 
as  big  as  a  bird,  and  carrying  another  insect,  some- 
:hing  like  a  Grasshopper,  and  he  was  convinced 
ihat  the  sound  proceeded  from  this  creature. 
On  uhe  borders  of  a  lovely  little  lake,  surrounded 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        381 

on  three  sides  by  verdant  hills,  which  were  speckled 
with  half- wild  cattle,  the  travellers  on  the  fourth 
Bide  met  with  a  wood,  through  which  they  had  to 
pass,  and  where,  as  he  rested  in  the  shade,  Cap- 
tain Spencer  was  surprised  at  the  salutation  of 
"  Halloo  there !  pull  up,  I  say !  Harry  Blunt 
wants  to  see  what's  in  your  pack,  and  perhaps  he 
wants  to  swop  horses  with  you."  "  And  who  is 
Harry  Blunt?"  said  Captain  Spencer,  drawing  one 
of  his  pistols  from  his  belt,  and  putting  it  on  full 
cock.  A  man  on  horseback  rode  immediately  I  . 
front  of  the  traveller,  clad  in  boots,  leathern  leg- 
gings, fustian  jacket,  and  a  white  hat  stuck  on  one 
side  of  his  head,  ornamented  with  different  coloured 
ribbons,  altogether  presenting  a  reckless  appear- 
ance. For  a  moment  he  seemed  to  quail  before 
the  steady,  unshrinking  gaze  of  the  stranger  ;  but 
he  dismounted  from  a  horse  which  had  evidently 
been  ridden  long  and  hard,  and  with  an  impudent 
swagger  went  up  to  Tiger.  "  Touch  him  at  your 
peril,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  pointing  his  pistol  at 
him  ;  "  you  are  a  dead  man,  if  you  lay  but  a  finger 
on  him."  Harry. had  both  pistol  and  rifle,  but  he 
did  not  offer  to  use  them  ;  he,  however,  drew  a 
long  knife,  and  was  about  to  rush  on  the  stranger ; 
who,  with  great  presence  of  mind,  dashed  his  arm 
to  the  ground,  and  fired  through  the  top  of  Harry's 
hat.  The  man  staggered,  but  recovering  himselt, 
he  was  about  to  make  another  sudden  attack,  when 


382  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

Kincliela  came  up  from  behind,  and  thrust  a  spear 
into  his  arm,  and  Gip  plunged  her  teeth  into  his 
leg- coverings.  At  this  moment  appeared  a  still 
more  lawless  ruffian,  leading  a  horse  in  still  worse 
condition  than  Harry's,  and  walked  up  to  Tiger. 
The  well-known  order  to  dance  was  given.  Tiger's 
paws  came  into  action,  and  the  man  lay  senseless 
on  the  ground.  "  Hold,"  said  Captain  Spencer  to 
his  antagonist ;  "  I  have  traversed  this  wild  coun- 
try north,  west,  and  south,  and  have  escaped  in- 
jury from  its  savage  inhabitants ;  shall  one  of  my 
own  countrymen  behave  worse  to  me  than  they 
have  done  ?  I  guess  what  you  are,  Harry  ;  your 
companion  is  disabled,  you  are  pinned  through  the 
arm  by  my  servant,  and  you  may  consider  yourself 
in  my  power.  I  do  not  belong  to  any  of  the  set- 
tlements in  this  country,  and  have  therefore  no 
authority  to  make  you  my  prisoner,  consequently 
you  shall  pass  on  without  further  molestation ; 
Kinchela,  withdraw  your  spear."  The  native 
obeyed,  and  the  blood  gushed  from  the  wound ; 
the  man  looked  at  his  arm,  then  at  the  party  before 
him,  and  remained  motionless.  "  Come,"  said  Cap- 
tain Spencer,  "I  am  an  old  soldier,  and  will  bind 
up  your  wound ;  it  is  not  made  with  a  war-spear, 
and  will  soon  heal."  Harry  stood  almost  passive 
as  his  jacket  was  removed,  the  shirt-sleeve  tucked 
up,  the  edges  of  the  wound  drawn  close  together, 
and  then  bound  up  tightly  with  one  of  Captain 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.         383 

Spencer's  handkerchiefs.  "  Are  you  hungry  ?" 
asked  the  latter.  "Yes,"  said  the  man;  •'we 
have  ridden  far  to-day,  and  I  have  no  powder,  or 
you  would  not  have  conquered  me."  "  Well,"  said 
the  traveller,  "  you  shall  have  something  to  eat. 
Kinchela  put  some  meat  and  cake  out.  Now  eat," 
he  continued,  "  and  we  will  do  something  for  your 
jaded  horses — leave  go,  Gip — your  companion  is 
stunned,  not  killed ;  but  he  will  scarcely  be  able  to 
ride  to-day.  My  horse  and  I  are  inseparable  ;  if 
you  take  him,  you  take  me,  and  1  am  an  awkward 
person  to  deal  with."  Harry  hung  his  head  ;  half 
sulky  and  half  ashamed,  he  devoured  the  food 
which  was  put  before  him,  while  he  appeared  to  be 
much  astonished  at  the  treatment  which  he  expe- 
rienced, and  he  looked  around  as  if  he  suspected 
there  was  some  stratagem.  He  seemed  to  be  also 
surprised  when  Kinchela  and  Captain  Sr)encer 
washed  the  horses  of  himself  and  companion,  and 
rubbed  their  legs.  The  pocr  animals  were  oi 
great  beauty  and  value,  evidently  accustomed  to 
care,  and  turned  their  large  eyes  gratefully  upcn 
those  who  were  now  doing  their  utmost  to  admin- 
ister to  their  comfort;  they  lc:ked  as  if  they 
had  not  been  long  from  the  stables  of  one  of  the 
settlers. 

Harry's  fierce  hunger  appeased,  and  his  heart 
Boftened  by  the  unusual  manner  of  his  new  ac- 
■s^uaintanco,  his  face  now  assumed  quite  a  different 


384  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

expression.  "  Harry,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  as 
he  ate  with  him,  "  there  is  something  in  your  look 
which  tells  me  you  would  he  a  better  man  if  you 
had  the  opportunity  of  becoming  so."  Harry  co- 
loured, and  said,  "I  have  gone  too  far."  "  It  is 
never  too  late,"  said  his  entertainer.  "I  would 
give  anything  to  b3  what  I  was  once,"  continued 
Harry,  with  much  emotion  ;  "  I  was  tempted,  fell 
into  bad  hands  and  bad  courses,  and  was  trans- 
ported. [  was  set  to  work,  and  beaten  by  the  over- 
seer for  a  fault  of  which  I  was  not  guilty.  This 
maddened  me,  and  I  struck  him  a  heavy  blow,  un- 
der which  he  fell.  I  did  not  intend  it  should  be 
fatal,  but  it  was  supposed  to  be  so.  I  was,  of 
course,  closely  imprisoned,  and  I  found  myself 
along  with  that  man  ;  he  told  me  that  I  was  sure 
to  be  hung  ;  he  had  prepared  everything  for  his 
escape,  and  I  consented  to  accompany  him;  he 
contrived  to  file  away  our  irons ;  we  were  strong 
and  active,  and  could  swim  well ;  we  threw  our- 
selves out  of  a  window,  crossed  the  water  to  escape 
the  blood-hounds,  and  have  led  a  bush-life  ever 
since  ;  he,  poor  fellow,  breatb'es,  but  I  think  it  will 
be  long  before  he  recovers  himself ;  and  I  dare  not 
stay  with  him,  for  I  know  the  oflScers  are  upon  our 
track.  He  has  made  m3  worse  than  I  was  before, 
and  put  me  foremost  on  all  occasions  because  I 
was  the  best-looking.*  I  am  glad,  however,  to  say 
that  I  did  not  kill  the  overseer,  for  I  have  seen 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  385 

him  since,  alive  and  well.  Whoever  you  may  be, 
sir,  you  have  spoken  kindly  to  me,  when  it  was  in 
your  power  to  kill  me,  and  when  you  would  have 
been  justified  in  doing  so  in  self-defence.  This  is 
the  first  act  of  kindness  which  I  have  received 
since  my  sister  took  leave  of  me  in  an  English 
prison.  If  you  would  add  to  your  goodness,  sir, 
by  not  betraying  me,  I  should  be  grateful." 

But  as  no  murder  can  be  brought  against  you, 
Harry,  why  not  surrender,  submit  to  your  punish- 
ment, and  try  by  good  conduct  to  regain  some  de- 
gree of  respectability  ?"  "  You  know  not  what  it 
is  to  be  an  escaped  convict,  sir,  or  what  a  man  has 
to  undergo  if  retaken."  "  You  are  sure  to  be  that, 
sooner  or  later,  unless  you  are  killed  in  some  en- 
counter with  the  police.  However,  I  shall  not 
give  any  information  concerning  you ;  my  way 
lies  in  that  direction,  and  I  expect  you  to  take  an 
opposite  course  ;  and  as  I  do  not  wish  to  expose  you 
to  destruction,  I  caution  you  against  those  hills  to 
the  north-west,  for  gentlemen  are  among  them, 
hunting  stray  cattle.  Here  is  your  knife — ^^I  shall 
not  give  you  any  powder,  for  I  dare  not  trust  you 
with  it,  but  here  are  some  fishing-hooks ;  the  river 
will  afford  you  plenty  of  food  ;  besides  which,  make 
yourself  a  spear,  and  use  it  for  other  sorts  of  pro- 
vision, as  we  have  done.  I  shall  place  meat  by 
your  companion,  in  case  he  should  recover,  and  I 
think  he  will."  "  God  will  reward  you,  sir,  if  such 
33 


386  AUSTRALIAN     AVANDERBRS. 

a  one  as  I  may  say  that."  "  Ask  him  to  forgive 
and  help  you,  Harry :  here  is  some  meal  for  pres- 
ent wants  ;  do  not  press  your  poor  horses  too 
much."  Harry  coloured,  hesitated,  was  about  to 
speak,  then  stopped  himself;  and  Captain  Spencer 
asked  him  if  he  wished  to  say  anything  more. 
"  I  should  like  to  know  your  name,  sir,"  was  the 
reply.  Captain  Spencer  told  him  ;  and  Harry  then 
took  off  his  hat,  and  stood  gazing  at  the  travellers 
as  they  departed,  with  his  eyes  full  of  tears  ;  and 
when  they  last  looked  back  at  him,  he  was  still 
standing,  as  if  to  catch  a  final  glimpse  of  them. 
The  horses  would  have  gladly  associated  themselves 
with  Tiger,  but  Captain  Spencer  knew  not  where 
to  take  them ;  he,  therefore,  was  forced  to  resign 
one  to  Harry ;  and  he  tethered  the  other  so  as 
to  be  able  to  procure  grass,  until  his  rider  should 
recover.  « 

The  forest  through  which  Captain  Spencer  now 
passed  was  of  Gum-trees ;  but  they  did  not  grow 
close  to  each  other,  and  occasional  openings  made 
the  path  exceedingly  beautiful.  Wherever  the  sun- 
could  penetrate,  the  most  exquisite  shrubs  and 
flowers  adorned  the  glade.  "  Surely,"  thought  he 
again,  "  the  eastern  side  must  be  the  most  beau- 
tiful ;  and  yet  several  of  these  gorgeous  forms  are 
familiar  to  my  eyes.  I  must  have  passed  several 
without  particular  notice,  in  mj  earnest  wish  to 
press  forward,  and  my  anxiety  about  sustenance; 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  387 

but  although  I  saw  several  Casuarlnse,  I  never  saw 
these  two  plants  hanging  over  theni  as  they  <io 
now."  One  had  nothmg  to  recommend  it,  appar- 
ently, but  its  exquisite  scarlet  blossoms,  with  their 
fragrant  odour,  like  that  of  a  Hone^^suckle  ;*  but 
as  he  stopped  to  examine  the  other, f  Kinchela  ga- 
thered one  of  its  parasitical  roots,  and  asked  his 
master  to  follow  his  example,  and  eat  it ;  he  did 
so,  and  found  it  to  be  full  of  starch,  and  to  smell 
like  ottar  of  roses.  "  Certainly,"  continued  Cap- 
tain Spencer,  "  I  did  not  see  those  weeping-willow 
Acacias,  nor  that  wliite  flowering  shrub,  whose 
flowers  are  red  in  the  centre, J  nor  that  peppery 
plant,  with  its  strong  scent,  and  long,  narrow, 
drooping  leaves. §  Then,  again,  that  plant  with 
dark  shining  leaves,  which  are  white  underneath, 
and  hang  round  the  stem  like  a  staff-officer's  plume, 
is  new ;  and  this  charming  Ranuncuhis,  like  the 
Buttercup  of  my  childhood,  never  gladdened  my 
eyes  before.  But  what  have  we  here  ?  this  must 
be  the  Wooden  Pear,  which  cannot  be  eaten. "|| 
Captain  Spencer  tried  to  put  his  teeth  in  it,  but  in 
vain;  it  was  like  a  feather  in  weight,  and  the 
leaves  of  the  tree  were  very  small.  "  Tiresome 
thing,"  said  he,  throwing  it  away;  "I  suppose 
you  would  not  be  here,  if  you  were  not  good  for 

*  Loranthiis  liiu'iirifulius.  f  Cj'mbiJium. 

J  Daiuasuiiiiiui  ovalifoliuni.  ^  Ueijira  parviflora. 

Ij  Xylomelum  pyriformo. 


388  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

sometliing  ;  but  you  are  very  tantalising.  These, 
however,  are  delicious  little  lemons ;  and  that  is 
the  rose-coloured  Eugenia.  Kinchela,  we  must 
have  some  of  that  fruit."  Kinchela  dropped  his 
spears,  climbed  the  tall  tree,  and  brought  down 
some  of  its  refreshing,  but  astringent  apples. 
"Boccolo  know  better  than  black  fellow,"  said 
the  native  ;  "  Kinchela  not  see  it  before."  "But 
you  know  this,  Kinchela  ?"  said  his  master,  hold- 
ing up  a  fruit,  turning  black  from  green  and  am- 
ber-colour. "  Yes,  Boccolo,  very  good !"  returned 
he,  devouring  a  handful. 

The  Flying  Foxes  in  these  parts  appeared  to 
live  upon  a  small,  but  oval,  acid  fruit,  with  a  stone 
in  it,  having  a  bitter  kernel ;  and  more  than  once, 
what  the  Englishman  knew  must  be  the  native 
Cherry*  was  to  be  seen.  It  looked  like  an  Arbor 
Vitse,  and  now  thought  he,  "  I  shall  see  the  outside 
stone.  Why,  the  berry  is  like  that  of  the  yew,  and 
just  as  insipid  in  taste.  Certainly,  if  it  be  the 
land  of  flowers,  Australia  is  not  tlie  land  for  fine 
fruits.  Yonder,  however,  is  a  magnificent  speci- 
men of  beauty."!  It  was  a  plant  six  feet  high, 
as  straight  as  a  walking-cane,  having  large  green 
leaves,  like  those  of  an  English  Oak  in  shape  and 
colour,  all  the  way  up,  and  the  whole  crowned  with 
a  wide-spreading  tufc  of  scarlet  and  crimson  pet- 
als, surrounding  a   cone  or   pyramid   of  trumpet- 

*  Exouarpus  cupre8i^iformis.  f  Ttjlopia  speciosissima. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  389 

shaped  florets  in  tlie  middle,  five  inches  Ingh  ;  and 
it  sometimes  put  forth  branches  like  a  candelabrum. 
"  There  is  a  blue  starry  flower,  like  a  very  open 
Harebell,  and  a  deep  rose-coloured  Convolvulus, 
among  the  grass ;  but  can  this  be  a  Fuchsia  ?  the 
berries  are  like  currants.  I  have  seen  this  before  ; 
it  is  a  sort  of  Cranberry,  I  think ;  and  there  is  a 
splendid  Bignonia,*  with  glossy  green  leaves,  and 
flowers  like  cream-coloured  Foxgloves." 

"  Are  you  going  to  eat  those  pretty,  brilliant, 
green  frogs,  Kinchela?"  said  his  master;  "we 
Have  plenty  of  food  without  taking  them."  "  They 
very  good,"  said  Kinchela,  putting  them  into  the 
fire  which  he  had  lighted  for  cooking  their  supper. 
"Look  there,  Boccolo,"  continued  he.  Captain 
Spencer  turned  his  head,  and  saw  a  round  piece 
of  the  soil  lifted  up  like  a  trap-door,  which  fell 
back  as  if  it  had  a  hinge.  "  Gip,  come  here,  and 
don't  disturb  that  creature,"  said  Captain  Spencer, 
much  interested,  and  the  dog's  curiosity  had  been 
equally  excited.  A  hairy,  gray  spider  came  out, 
peeped  all  round,  and  then  went  back  and  sat  just 
inside,  so  that  it  could  not  be  seen  above.  No 
prey  arrived,  and  the  spider  walked  out,  which 
gave  the  human  watcher  an  opportunity  of  examin- 
ing its  dwelling.  It  was  some  inches  deep,  had  a 
curve  at  the  end,  and  in  order  to  prevent  the  earth 
from  falling  in,  it  was  lined  with  a  fine  web ;  the 

•  Bignonia  Australis. 

33  » 


390  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

lid,  covered  in  tlie  same  way,  being  formed  within 
of  earth,  and  the  hinge  also  of  web.  Two  lizards 
were  not  far  off;  one  a  bloated,  broad  thing,  lying 
frith  its  mouth  open,  and  showing  a  blue  tongue. 
It  did  not  get  out  of  Gip's  way;  and  when  she 
turned  round  and  worried  it,  it  started  up  fiercely, 
and  had  she  not  been  very  nimble,  w^ould  have  in- 
flicted a  serious  bite.  The  other  was  much  larger^ 
and  more  active,  and  was  climbing  a  tree  ;  its  tail 
was  twenty  inches  long,  it  had  a  sharp  knowing 
head,  was  speckled  black  and  white,  was  covered 
with  close,  hard  scales,  and  its  teeth  were  movable, 
like  those  of  a  snake.  The  party  encountered 
numbers  of  the  latter  reptiles,  some  of  which  were 
handsomely  marked  ;  especially  one,  which  was 
like  Mosaic  work.  Those  which  were  brown  and 
black,  Kinchela  said,  were  all  fatal.  There  were 
also  scorpions,  and  two  sorts  of  centipedes. 

Some  days  after  the  adventure  with  the  bush- 
ranger, the  travellers  came  upon  a  beautiful  val- 
ley surrounded  by  at  least  a  hundred  small  hills 
of  limestone,  which  occasionally  peeped  out  from 
the  grass  with  which  they  were  otherwise  covered  ; 
Bome  slender  streams  wound  between  them,  and 
were  shaded  by  trees  and  shrubs.  "  What  a 
charming  place  for  a  station!"  thought  Captain 
Spencer ;  and  others  were  of  the  same  opinion, 
for  sheep  were  grazing  upon  the  hills,  and  a  soli- 
tary wooden  hut  stood  at  one  end  of  the  valley. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  391 

Captain  Spencer  went  to  it,  and  found  that  it  waa 
occupied  by  two  men,  one  onlj  of  whom  was  at 
home,  and  who  was  much  surprised  at  the  travel 
ler's  appearance.  He  seemed  to  eye  him  sus- 
piciously, said  he  was  glad  to  see^any  gentleman, 
but  that  he  had  little  or  nothing  to  offer,  except 
damper.  Captain  Spencer  assured  him  that  "he 
did  not  require  any  assistance ;  that  he  should  take 
his  food  outside  the  hut,  and  stay  all  night ;  for 
his  friend,  Mr.  St.  John,  had  told  him  he  would 
find  honest  men  there."  "  Oh,  indeed,  sir!"  said 
the  man,  "you  are  a  friend  of  his,  are  you?"  his 
countenance  lighting  up  as  he  spoke  ;  "he  is  a 
very  good  gentleman  ;  he  did  not  take  sheep  with 
him  last  journey ;  but  he  did  the  time  before,  and 
picked  out  all  the  finest  of  our  flocks  ;  he  is  as 
good  a  judge  of  sheep  as  if  he  had  been  brought 
up  to  it,  though  his  father  is  a  lord.  Perhaps,  sir, 
you  are  come  to  choose  some  ?  you  can  see  them 
to-morrow  before  they  leave  the  folds."  "  No, 
friend,"  replied  Captain  Spencer,  "I  am  only  a 
traveller  in  this  country,  and  am  now  on  my  way 
to  the  Hunter  River,  from  whence  I  mean  to  go 
to  Sydney."  At  these  words  the  man's  counte- 
nance lengthened  again,  and  he  said,  "  If,  sir,  you 
would  like  to  go  a  few  miles  further,  the  moon  will 
be  up,  and  you  will  there  come  to  the  head  station, 
and  plenty  of  room  and  company  too  for  that  mat« 
ter ;  and  he  involuntarily  glanced  at  the  sword,  gun, 


392  AaSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

and  pistols.  "No,  I  thank  jwu,"  answered  the 
soldier ;  "  but  I  see  you  are  not  quite  satisfied 
about  me.  I  give  you  my  word  I  am  neither  a 
bush-ranger  nor  one  of  the  police,  but  am  here 
against  my  will."  He  then  related  as  much  of 
his  adventures  as  would  explain  his  appearance 
there,  and  after  that  the  man  became  communica- 
tive, and  cast  off  all  suspicion.  "  Do  you  always 
live  here  V  asked  Captain  Spencer,  after  he  had 
supped,  and  turned  Tiger  loose;  but  before  the 
man  could  reply,  Charlie  flew  up,  and  seeing  a 
white  man,  said,  "Friend  Philip!"  His  master 
thought  friend  Philip  would  not  have  deemed  him- 
self complimented,  and  replied,  "  No,  Chai'lie, 
friend  Philip's  not  here."  "Not  here,  not  here," 
repeated  the  bird  ;  "  all's  right !"  and  perched  him- 
self on  the  top  of  the  hut.  The  hut-keeper  stared, 
and  said,  "  You  did  not  get  that  bird  here,  sir  ; 
we  have  plenty  of  magpies,  and  all  sorts  of  talk- 
ing birds,  but  we  never  teach  them  to  speak. 
There  is  a  Shrike  which  comes  to  us  in  winter, 
with  a  fine,  clear  note ;  but  he  is  dreadfully  mis- 
chievous. Our  most  amusing  bird  is  the  Laughing 
Jackass,  which  makes  us  merry  sometimes  ;  the 
whole  place  often  rings  with  the  laughs  of  these 
birds ;  one  beginning,  then  two,  three,  and  four 
following,  till  at  last  the  whole  flight  sets  off."  "  I 
must  have  heard  them,  then,"  said  Captain  Spen- 
cer.    "  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  sir,"  resumed  the 


AUSTRALIAN     V/ANDEclERS.         b9o 

man  ;  "  they  are  very  numerous  just  here,  and  we 
like  them,  not  entirely  because  they  are  so  cheer- 
ful in  these  solitary  places,  but  because  they  eat 
so  many  snakes  and  lizards.  Then  we  have  a  bird 
which  we  call  the  Knife-grinder;  for  his  note  is 
just  the  same  as  the  grating  of  the  blade  upon 
the  stone,  as  it  turns.  We  like  to  know  something 
about  all  the  animals  near  us,  living  as  we  do  in 
such  a  lonely  spot.  There  is  one  bird  which  we 
take  pleasure  in  calling  a  Robin,  because  it  has  a 
red  breast  ;*  but  its  back  and  wings  are  black,  with 
white  bars  across,  and  a  white  spot  is  on  the  crown 
of  its  head.  It  is  so  gay,  with  its  bright  black 
eyes,  so  frolicsome  and  sociable,  that  it  is  a  great 
favourite.  But  here  comes  my  chum."  "  Do  you 
two  keep  this  station  ?"  "Yes,  sir ;  I  am  the  hut- 
keeper,  and  always  stay  within,  do  the  washing, 
the  cooking,  and  keep  watch  all  night ;  for  we  are 
always  obliged  to  be  on  our  guard  against  the 
Dingoes  and  the  natives."  "  Does  no  one  come 
to  see  you?"  "  Master  comes  sometimes,  or  the 
head  man,  or  one  of  the  young  gentlemen."  "  How 
far  oiF  is  the  head  farm  ?"  "  About  thirty  miles, 
Dr  thereabouts ;  but  the  keeper's  is  only  ten  miles, 
ind  he  often  has  company."  "  And  do  you  like 
this  sort  of  life?"  "Why,  it  is  very  easy  and 
quiet,  sir."  "  How  much  do  you  get  ?"  "  Twenty- 
five  pounds  a-year,  and  allowances  of  sheep,  flour, 

*  Petroica  ebenacea. 


894  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

and  tea ;  and  we  can't  spend  anything,  except  for 
clothes."  "  How  do  you  pass  your  time  ?"  "  My 
comrade  has  enough  to  do  with  his  sheep,,  and  I 
have  a  bit  of  a  garden.  Sometimes  the  natives, 
who  are  friends  with  us,  come  and  make  a  Corob- 
bery,  and  master  gives  us  flour,  tomahawks,  and 
other  things  as  presents,  to  keep  them  in  good 
humour,  and  we  never  lose  anything.  They  are, 
however,  but  poor  savages,  and  some  of  the  hut- 
keepers  have  been  attacked  and  murdered  by  them. 
One  of  master's  men  had  a  grand  fight  with  some 
of  them,  and  five  of  the  natives  were  killed.  This 
made  the  others  retreat  a  little,  and  their  dead 
companions  were  buried  before  the  door,  when  it 
was  known  that  their  friends  were  looking  on. 
They  never  have  come  near  the  place  again,  and 
never  will,  for  they  will  not  cross  the  spot." 

The  sheep  had  by  this  time  arrived,  and,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  dogs,  which  were  of  the  sort 
called  Kangaroo,  were  folded  for  the  night ;  and 
the  shepherd  touching  his  hat  to  Captain  Spencer, 
seemed  to  hesitate  about  speaking.  "  This  gentle- 
man is  a  friend  of  Mr.  St.  John's,  Bill,"  said  the 
hut-keeper ;  at  which  the  newly  arrived  man  seemed 
to  be  quite  relieved,  and  then  joined  in  the  conver- 
Bation.  He  said  this  station  was  one  of  the  best 
in  the  whole  country  for  sheep  ;  because,  when  it 
was  wet  in  the  valley,  they  could  go  on  to  the  hills ; 
and  that  young  Mr.  Gordon  had  had  a  hard  push 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  395 

to  get  it,  for  a  place  of  that  sort  was  always  the 
right  of  those  who  reached  it  first.     After  it  was 
discovered,  and  when  he  and  several  others  started 
to  come  to  it,  he  pretended  he  would  not  go  any 
further,  and  the  rest  thought  he  had  turned  back  ; 
but  he  dashed  over  everything,  having  marked  the 
highest  hill  with  his  eye,  and  he  never  stopped  or 
turned  till  he  gained  the  point ;  so,  when  the  others 
came  in,  they  found  him  seated,  quietly  lighting 
his  cigar,  and  they  could  not  say  anything,  because 
they  would  all  have  done  just  the  same.     "  Do  you 
ever  see  the  bush-rangers  ?"  asked  Captain  Spen- 
cer.    Both  the   men   coloured,   and    one   replied, 
"  Yes,  sir,  we  do  ;  and  to  tell  you  the  truth,  at  a 
distance  you  looked  like  one,  only  you   came  in 
leisurely  and  peaceably,  and  they  are  always  in  a 
hurry,  because  they  are  hunted  down.     There  is 
nothing  here  for  them  to  take,  except  a  little  dam- 
per, or  pork  ;    besides  which,  master    trusts  us  ; 
and  we  should  have  a  hard  fight  with  anybody  who 
touched  what  belonged  to  him ;  but  we  never  be- 
tray them,  because  many  of  us  have  been  in  trouble 
ourselves."     "I  dare  say  not,"  observed  Captain 
Spencer,  "  especially  if  they  do  no  harm  to  you  ; 
it  is  much  easier  to   get  into  trouble   than  to  get 
out."     Seeing  that  Captain  Spencer  and  Kinchela 
wer^  spreading  their  skins,  in  order  to  lie  down, 
they  asked  the  former  to  sleep  inside  ;  but  be  told 
them   it  was   so  long  since  he  had  slept  under 


B96         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

cover,  that  he  would  rather  remain  where  he  was, 
hut  he  should  like  to  see  the  inside  of  the  hut. 
He  accordingly  entered,  and  found  that  the  cook 
had  prepared  slices  of  bacon  and  kangaroo,  to  be 
fried  for  supper  ;  that  the  men  took  it  in  turns  to 
sleep,  on  what  they  called  a  stretcher,  Avhich  was 
a  piece  of  canvass  supported  upon  a  frame,  nailed 
to  four  upright  posts  ;  that  they  had  plenty  of 
blankets,  for  they  said  they  often  had  frosts  in 
August ;  and  though  there  was  not  much  cold 
weather,  they  sometimes  felt  chilly.  The  hut  itself 
was  built  of  what  would  be  called  plank  in  Eng- 
land, but  they  call  these  pieces  slabs  ;  they  were 
raised  on  four  posts,  and  thatched  with  bark. 

Very  early  next  morning,  before  sunrise.  Kin- 
chela  was  out  to  renew  his  stock  of  bulrush  roots, 
and  the  new  friends  took  a  lesson  from  him  in  pre- 
paring them.  He  brought  a  curious  fish  to  his 
master,  which  the  shepherds  said  was  what  they 
called  the  Jew-fish.*  He  also  said  that  it  had 
been  constantly  swimming  round  a  ring  of  sand, 
the  inside  of  which  was  filled  with  stones.  The 
hut-keeper  informed  the  travellers  that  it  was  only 
at  certain  times  of  the  year  that  they  watched  it, 
and  they  believed  that  it  was  the  nest  of  the  fish ; 
though  how  the  stones  came  there,  they  could  not 
tell,  for  such  were  not  to  be  found  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood.    Captain  Spencer  was  not  incredulous. 

Ptotosus  tandanus. 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDEKERS.         397 

because   be  knew  that   there  were  fishes    in  the 
Chinese  seas  which  made  nests  and  guarded  thenj 
in  the   same  manner.     Just   after  the   return  of 
Kinchela,  the  air  was  like  a  furnace,  and  the  most 
tremendous  lightning  opened  the  thick  clouds  ;  it 
became  almost  dark,  so  that  a  light  was  required 
within  the  hut ;  a  rushing  noise  was   heard,  the 
men  sought  their  blankets,  and  throwing  them  over 
their  shoulders  put  out  their  light,  which  was  only 
a   piece   of  rag  lying    in    mutton  fat,   and   said, 
"  Stand  clear  of  the  hut."     All  moved  out  of  its 
reach,  and  during  the  few  still  moments  which  en- 
sued, the  sheep-keeper  said,  "  We  don't  often  have 
these  things,  but  they  do  sometimes  come  from  the 
south-west ;    and  I  am  glad  it  happened  when  I 
and  the  sheep  were  in  the  hollow  ;  for  we  should 
have  been  blown  about  like  straws  on  the  top  of 
the  hill."     "  What  do  you  expect  ?"  asked  Captain 
Spencer.     "A    hurricane,    sir,"    was    the    reply; 
"and  after  that,  heavy  rain."     Captain   Spencer 
then  said  to  all  his  followers,  "  Come  close ;  smother 
the  fire-stick,  Kinchela."     This  was  immediately 
wrapped  in  a  piece  of  thick  skin,  and,  going  to  a 
still  deeper  hollow,  and  taking  off  all  his  clothes, 
he  put  thera  under  his  coverings,  and  sat  down  with 
the  rest,  in  as  compact  a  body  as  possible,  Charlie, 
with  his  usual  sagacity,  creeping  under  the  skins. 
"  I  am  sorry  wo  have  not  a  better  shelter  to  offer 
you,  sir,"  said   the   shepherd;    "but   our  hut   ia 
34 


398  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

sometimes  blown  down ;  for  these  hurricanes  make 
playthings  of  all  that  come  in  their  way,  and  they 
lay  down  even  the  biggest  trees  ;  when  there  is 
hail,  if  the  trees  are  not  knocked  down,  every  leaf 
is  stripped  from  them."  The  storm  came,  and 
was  as  tremendous  as  any  Captain  Spencer  had 
experienced,  and  he  thought  sadly  of  his  poor  Ma- 
lays ;  it  was,  however,  no  sooner  over  than  he  was 
dry  and  comfortable,  and  the  shepherds  were  lost 
in  admiration  of  his  plan.  "  I  am  used  to  such 
storms,  here  and  elsewhere,"  said  the  traveller ; 
"  now,  you  see,  I  have  dry  things  to  put  on  after 
my  shower-bath."  "  Very  bad  sorcerer  made  that 
storm,"  said  Kinchela;  "more  bad  than  we  see 
anywhere,  Boccolo."  "I  am  sure  we  could  learn 
many  things  of  you,  sir,"  said  the  man  to  Captain 
Spencer.  When  he  inquired  if  the  hail  ever  killed 
the  sheep,  the  outwatcher  said,  that  on  one  occa- 
sion they  had  lost  forty,  and  that  the  valley  be- 
came one  broad  sheet  of  Avater ;  for  as  the  rain 
always  ran  rapidly  off  the  soil,  the  hollow  places 
were  filled  in  an  instant. 

Captain  Spencer,  taking  a  friendly  leave  of  the 
shepherds,  and  receiving  particular  instructions 
from  them,  at  once  proceeded  towards  the  head 
stock-keeper's  house,  where  he  thought  he  should 
find  a  guide  to  the  Hunter  River,  for  he  fancied 
he  often  wandered  very  much  from  the  proper 
track.     Tlie  storm  had  clears  i  the   atmosphere; 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.     399 

Tiger,  who  had  appeared  drooping  the  day  before, 
was  now  as  bright  as  ever,  and  Charlie  hurra'd, 
and  said,  "  Good-bye,  all's  right  !"  to  the  great 
entertainment  of  his  new  acquaintances,  and  soared 
up  into  the  air  ;  but  the  man  who  went  out  with 
the  sheep,  accompanied  the  travellers  for  a  mile  or 
two.  The  birds,  which  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
trees  from  the  storm,  had  not  left  their  coverts  as 
they  passed,  and  numerous  were  the  Choughs, 
Crows,  and  Pigeons  ;  among  the  latter  was  the 
Harlequin  Bronze-wing,*  which  the  shepherd  told 
him  laid  its  eggs  in  low  bushes,  in  the  middle  of 
plains  ;  the  Common  Bronze-wing  wheeled  round 
and  round  in  immense  numbers  as  they  approached, 
and  took  their  flight  to  the  grassy  flats,  where  the 
seed  was  ripe.  On  parting  with  the  shepherd,  the 
wayfarers  Avent  through  a  portion  of  an  extensive 
pine  forest,  interspersed  with  a  few  other  trees  ; 
the  former  was  seventy  feet  high,  full  of  cones, 
and  Kinchela  knocking  one  which  lay  upon  the 
groimd,  it  fell  to  pieces,  and  both  men  ate  the  aro- 
matic seeds  which  lay  between  the  scales.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  forest  was  a  small  open  space, 
covered  with  Cassias,  Sensitive  and  Ice  Plants, 
and  in  which  grew  a  large  tree,  about  thirty  feet 
high,  standing  by  itself.  It  attracted  Captain 
Spencer's  attention,  and,  on  going  up  to  it  to  ascer- 
tain what  it  was,  he  found  it  to  be  a  fearful  Nettle, 

*  Phaps  histrouica. 


400  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

and  pointing  it   out  to  Kincliela,  he  warned  hinc 
never  to  touch  it ;  to  which  the  man  replied,  "  Yes, 
but  Boccolo  always  tell  Kinchela  ;"  a  proof  how 
completely  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to   remain 
with  his  master,  and  how  entirely  he  trusted  him. 
On  the  outskirts  of  the  pine  forest  were  webs  of 
dark  yellow  silk,  yards  in  length,   and   reaching 
from  tree  to  tree,  which  were  made  by  some  bright 
green   spiders.     They   rested   under   a   clump  of 
trees,  when  they  chased  away  some  scorpions;  but 
a  most  interesting  process  was  taking  place  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree   under  which  they  sat ;  some   in- 
sects, looking  like  heavy,  lumpy,  brown  beetles, 
an  inch  and  a  half  long,  with  scaly  coats,  and 
their  claws  like  those  of  lobsters,  crept  from  under 
the  turf,  and  were  about  to  emerge  into  another 
state ;  their  backs  burst,  and  out  of  the  slit  came 
a  head,  body,  and  legs,  looking  as  if  they  had 
boots  on  ;  then  a  pale  creature  issued  and  stood 
upright.      Two    odd-looking    tufts   of   membrane, 
crumpled  into  a  thousand  folds,  spread  into  opa- 
line wings ;  and  Kinchela  said  he  had  often  seeu 
tiiem,  and  if  they  came  out  when  the  sun  was  hot 
upon  them,  these  wings  became  so  stiff  that  the 
insect  could  not  fly.     In  walking  along  that  same 
afternoon,   they  saw   a   number   of  small,  yellow 
cn-cles,  formed  of  the  bits  of  a   Cistus  blossom, 
which  some  ants  had  divided,  and  were  carrying 
to  their  deposit,  while  others  dragged  them   into 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  401 

the  holes  of  their  nests.  They  tried  to  ascertain 
what  these  little  creatures  were  like ;  but  they  all 
rushed  into  the  earth  when  they  approached,  and 
hid  themselves. 

A  low  thatched  house,  surrounded  by  a  neat 
and  pretty  garden,  in  which  the  owner  was  at 
work,  proved  to  be  the  residence  of  the  person  to 
whom  Captain  Spencer  had  been  recommended 
by  the  Overlander,  and  opening  the  gate,  and 
walking  up  to  him  with  only  Gip  by  his  side,  the 
traveller  at  once  accosted  him  by  saying,  "lam 
come,  by  the  advice  of  my  frien.d  Mr.  St.  John, 
to  request  you  will  let  me  take  a  few  hours  rest  at 
your  house,  and  then  that  you  will  put  me  in  the 
way  of  finding  Mr.  Onslow's  farm  on  the  Hunter 
River."  The  person  thus  addressed  was  a  tall, 
respectable-looking  man,  whose  broad  shoulders, 
and  well-shaped  limbs,  curling  brown  hair,  and 
clear  blue  eye,  showed  that  he  was  of  that  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  now  spreading  itself  over  the  whole 
world,  and  showing  itself  superior  to  all  others  in 
energy  and  perseverance.  "  I  am  very  glad  to 
see  you,  sir,"  was  his  reply,  "not  only  for  Mr. 
St.  John's  sake,  but  for  your  own,  for  you  look  as 
if  you  had  been  travelling  some  time.  Wife," 
he  said,  going  into  his  house,  "see  what  you  can 
do  for  this  gentleman,  while  I  get  something  for 
his  supper,  and  have  his  horse  and  servant  put 
up."  A  rather  shy,  but  pretty  young  womar 
34* 


402  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

made  her  appearance,  while  two  children  stood 
peeping  from  the  inner  room.  It  was  so  long  since 
Captain  Spencer  had  seen  a  bright  English  com- 
plexion, that  he  could  scarcely  persuade  himself 
she  was  not  the  most  beautiful  female  he  had  ever 
beheld.  As  to  Kinchela,  when  he  first  cast  his 
eyes  upon  her,  his  astonishment  was  so  great  as 
to  bewilder  him  ;  and  he  afterwards  told  his  mas- 
ter he  thought  she  was  a  good  spirit,  such  as  he 
had  told  him  of  as  liA'ing  in  Heaven.  Tiger  was 
unloaded,  and  about  to  be  led  to  a  stable,  but  Cap- 
tain Spencer  requested  that  he  might  be  allowed 
to  graze  in  a  pasture  close  outside  the  garden. 
Kinchela  went  there  with  him,  Charlie  also  ad- 
hered faithfully  to  Tiger,  and  Gip  remained  with 
her  master. 

Mr.  Richardson,  for  this  was  the  name  of  the 
stock-keeper,  brought  in  some  lamb  for  the  supper 
of  the  strangers,  which  his  wife  immediately  pre- 
pared, and  with  some  potatoes  put  it  into  the  oven. 
"Pray,  sir,"  said  he,  "did  you  see  a  tall  black 
fellow  on  your  way,  anywhere  about  here  ?  I  sup- 
pose you  are  come  from  an  overland,  which  is  a 
great  wear  and  tear  for  the  clothes,  aiid  the  body 
too."  "I  am  not  an  Overlander,  my  friend," 
said  Captain  Spencer  ;  "nevertheless,  I  come  from 
a  great  distance.  I  did  see  a  tall,  black  man,  who 
tried  to  take  my  gun  from  me ;  but  I  caught  him, 
and  when  he  resisted,  my  dog  just  pinned  him  by 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  403 

the  leg  ;  and  as  he  was  very  hungry,  I  gave  him 
something  to  eat.  He  said  he  was  hunted,  and 
wanted  my  gun  in  order  to  defend  himself;  and 
if  he  be  the  same,  I  should  like  to  know  what  he 
has  done  ?"  "  Why,  sir,  he  has  committed  mur- 
der ;  and  the  police  are  riding  him  down  in  every 
direction."  "Where  did  he  commit  it?"  asked 
Captain  Spencer.  "  Thank  God,  it  did  not  hap- 
pen here,  sir,  but  at  one  of  Mr.  Wilde's  stock- 
keeper's  ;  if  it  had  been  here,  I  think  my  little 
wife  would  have  gone  out  of  her  mind.  A  black 
fellow  hung  about  the  stock-keeper's  house  for 
some  days,  and  seemed  as  if  he  wanted  to  be  taken 
as  a  help ;  but  the  men  there  could  not  quite  un- 
derstand what  he  said.  They  fed  him,  and  at  last 
began  to  trust  him ;  so  one  wet  night  they  asked 
him  to  sleep  inside  the  house  on  the  floor  of  the 
keeping  room.  They  do  sometimes  make  very 
good  servants,  and  this  one  seemed,  poor  fellow,  to 
be  quite  handy.  That  same  night  that  he  came 
into  the  house,  another  black  fellow — the  very 
rascal  whom  you  saw,  I  suppose — knocked  at  the 
door,  and  begged  so  hard  to  be  let  in,  that,  consi- 
dering it  was  such  a  rough  night,  they  gave  con- 
sent, and  he  laid  himself  down  in  one  corner. 
Every  body  went  to  sleep,  and  in  the  night  it  is 
supposed  that  he  stabbed  the  other  to  the  heart 
with  a  large  knife,  which  was  found  sticking  in 
him.     The  rascal  lay  down  again,  and  slept  till 


404  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

morning.  When  the  stock-keeper  got  up,  he  was 
of  course  dreadfully  frightened,  but  he  secured 
the  man,  and  sent  for  the  nearest  police.  When 
thej  came,  the  rascal  denied  that  he  had  touched 
his  countryman ;  but  they  handcuffed  him,  and 
marched  him  oif  to  be  tried.  On  the  way,  he 
leaped,  handcuffed  as  he  was,  from  a  precipice  into 
the  river,  and  disappeared.  Great  search  was 
made  for  him,  and  although  they  did  not  find  the 
body,  the  police  thought  he  was  drowned.  All 
pursuit  would  have  been  given  up,  had  they  not 
afterwards  heard  that  he  had  dived  and  swum  under 
water,  till  he  had  completely  baffled  them.  Now 
they  are  again  after  him  ;  but  so  detei'mined  a  fel- 
low as  that  is  not  easily  overtaken."  "  I  suppose 
he  thought  me  to  be  one  of  the  police,  then,"  said 
Captain  Spencer  ;  "  and  that  was  why  he  did  not 
answer  when  I  made  the  native  call.  There  was 
little  doubt  that  he  had  tracked  his  enemy  to  the 
house  of  the  stock-keeper,  and  taken  revenge  for 
something  he  had  done,  which,  however  dreadful 
to  us,  was  only  according  to  his  notions  of  justice." 
The  supper  was  ready,  Gip  was  fed,  Kinchela 
had  a  portion  carried  to  him,  and  all  things  were 
in  repose,  when  the  stock-keeper,  who  was  evi- 
dently (although  he  tried  to  conceal  it)  very  curi- 
ous to  know  who  his  guest  might  be,  said,  as  he 
Bmoked  his  pipe,  "  Perhaps,  sir,  you  have  also  seen 
Hai'i-y  Blunt,  the  famous  bush-ranger  ?  you  may, 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  405 

m  fact,  be  come  after  him."  "No,  indeed," 
answered  Captain  Spencer  ;  "  I  seem  to  have  met 
with  the  most  famous  characters  of  Eastern  Au- 
stralia, but  I  have  not  sought  them.  I  have  seen 
Harry  Blunt,  and  in  fact  only  parted  with  him  a 
few  days  ago.  Was  it  from  here  that  he  and  his 
companion  took  those  two  valuable  horses  ?" 
"  Sure  enough  it  was,"  said  the  stock-keeper. 
"  We  had  long  heard  that  rangers  were  about,  but 
as  the  story  came  from  the  natives  only,  who  take 
great  delight  in  raising  all  sorts  of  false  reports, 
we  did  not  alarm  ourselves,  or  make  preparations 
to  receive  them  by  sending  for  the  police.  At 
.ast,  however,  some  of  our  OAvn  people  saw  them, 
and  then  we  tried  to  be  ready  whenever  they  might 
come.  We  constantly  kept  watch,  night  and  day, 
sat  with  our  guns  loaded,  piled  lots  of  things 
against  the  windows  for  a  month,  till  at  last  we 
were  tired  out,  and  thought  they  must  have  taken 
another  direction.  But  about  a  week  after  we  had 
relaxed  a  little,  two  horsemen  rode  in  at  the  gate 
while  we  were  at  dinner,  and  one  of  them  wore  a 
white  hat  with  red  ribbons  hanging  from  it.  Be- 
fore we  could  rise  he  was  in  the  house,  saying  he 
must  have  something  hot  for  dinner  ;  while  the 
other  put  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  in  at  the  window, 
so  that  he  could  have  shot  any  one  of  us  had  we 
stirred  to  get  our  own  arms,  which  were  hanging 
up,  so  we  dared  not  refuse ;  and  as  to  Sally,"  con. 


406    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

tinued  the  narrator,  "  I  never  saw  her  so  over  civil 
in  all  my  life  ;  slie  got  vip  and  waited  upon  him  a 
great  deal  quicker  than  she  ever  waits  upon  me ;" 
and  he  looked  archly  at  his  wife,  who  exclaimed, 
"Oh,  James!"  and  blushed  deeply.  "Well,  sir, 
you  see  we  were  fairly  caught  ourselves  ;  so  we  set 
all  that  Ave  had  to  eat  before  Harry,  and  he  ordered 
us  about  as  if  we  had  been  his  subjects,  taking  care 
to  let  us  see  that  he  had  a  large  knife,  and  a  brace 
of  pistols  in  his  belt.  When  he  had  eaten  enough, 
he  took  one  of  the  pistols,  cocked  it,  and  kept 
guard  Avith  it  in  his  hand,  while  his  companion,  a 
much  Avorse  rascal  than  he,  sat  down  in  his  turn 
and  made  a  good  dinner  ;  they  then  called  for  to- 
bacco and  brandy,  and  Harry  said  he  would  leave 
his  card  for  the  police,  and  thereupon  carved  his 
name  upon  the  table,  as  you  may  now  see.  He 
spoke  well  enough,  but  he  took  what  small  articles 
he  fancied,  such  as  a  poAvder-horn ;  changed  his 
old  hat  for  my  new  one,  and  secured  a  few  trifles, 
as  he  called  them  ;  he  then  winked  at  his  com- 
panion, who  slipped  out,  and  soon  returned  with 
two  of  our  best  horses,  saddled  and  bridled,  leav- 
ing in  their  place  two  jaded  creatures.  Harry 
filled  my  gun  and  pistols  with  water,  to  prevent 
me  from  firing  after  him  ;  and  thanking  us  for  our 
civility,  they  both  mounted  our  horses  and  rode  off", 
saying  we  should  hear  from  them  again.  There 
was  no  one  at  home  but  Sally,  myself,  and  a  boy, 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.        407 

who  was  so  frightened  that  he  hid  himself.  We 
fbd  and  got  the  horses  round  which  they  had  left, 
and  soon  found  their  owners.  Ours,  I  dare  say, 
will  come  back  in  just  the  same  condition. 

"  They  treated  one  gentleman  in  these  parts  it 
a  very  different  manner.  He  was  not  at  all  pre- 
pared for  their  coming,  and  his  men  were  all  at 
work ;  the  first  notice  which  he  had  of  their  arrival 
was  a  rustling  noise  as  he  sat  at  a  table  reading ; 
he  turned  his  head,  and  saw  his  fire-arms  in  their 
possession,  but  he  tried  to  spring  upon  Harry,  and 
get  his  pistols  back  again  ;  however,  as  he  was  no 
match  for  the  fellow,  he  was  bound  and  obliged  to 
remain  quiet,  while  they  took  whatever  they  liked, 
and  ransacked  his  drawers.  Then  Harry  told  him 
he  knew  him  to  be  a  tyrant  over  his  men,  so  he 
must  punish  him  ;  they  tied  him  to  a  tree,  and  be- 
gan to  flog  him;  but  after  his  companion  had 
whispered  something  in  Harry's  ear,  they  rode  off 
as  hard  as  they  could,  leaving  the  poor  gentle- 
man fastened  to  the  tree.  A  party  in  search  of 
the  rangers  came  up  in  a  few  minutes;  and  as 
they  stopped  to  release  the  victim,  the  scamps  got 
out  of  reach." 

"Your  dogs  are  of  the  same  sort  as  these  of 
Mr.  St.  John,"  said  Captain  Spencer ;  "  what  do 
you  call  them?"  "They  are  half-bred  Grey- 
hounds, sir;  and  we  call  them  Kangaroo-dogs, 
because  they  are  so  useful  in  hunting  those  ani- 


408  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

mals,  which  required  two  of  them,  and  a  fast  horse, 
to  be  a  match  for  them.  They  are  also  capital  for 
catching  the  Dingoes."  Captain  Spencer  smiled 
when  he  recollected  how  Gip  and  he  had  caught 
many  of  the  former,  but  he  asked  if  the  native 
dogs  in  the  neighbourhood  were  numerous.  "  Yes," 
replied  his  host,  "  they  are  the  greatest  plagues  we 
have  ;  their  step  is  so  light  and  stealthy,  that  we 
never  know  when  they  are  coming,  and  they  lie  in 
wait  for  their  prey  in  the  long  grass,  or  rocky 
places ;  they  sometimes  come  alone,  and  at  others 
live  or  six  together,  and  sometimes  run  well  for  a 
little  while,  but  soon  get  frightened  when  they  are 
pursued.  They,  however,  die  hard,  and  often  pre- 
tend to  be  dead,  so  that  they  may  be  left ;  they 
then  suffer  themselves  to  be  beaten,  kicked,  and 
dj-agged  about  without  flinching;  hanging  their 
heads,  and  making  you  believe  they  are  done  for; 
then  they  get  up,  and  run  between  your  legs,  or 
spring  over  your  shoulders,  in  order  to  escape. 
Our  dogs  will  kill  them,  but  nauseate  them  after- 
wards, and  always  plunge  into  water  after  hunting 
them  ;  there  is,  however,  a  good  breed  between 
them  and  tame  dogs.  They  are  the  greatest  sheep 
and  calf  worriers  in  the  world,  and  do  not  kill  their 
prey  first,  but  eat  it  bit  by  bit  while  it  is  alive. 
They  have  been  known  to  eat  off  the  tails  of  the 
cattle  as  they  lay  asleep."  It  was  now  time  for 
the  stock-keeper  to  perform  his  duties  for  the  night; 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  409 

nis  men,  flocks,  and  herds  were  come  in,  and  it  ^\a^ 
necessary  to  go  to  them.  While  he  was  absent, 
Captain  Spencer  visited  Tiger,  and  talked  to  the 
children,  who  at  first  had  been  frightened  at  lim, 
but  now  hung  about  him  as  if  he  had  been  an  old 
friend ;  he  went  outside  the  dool",  and  whistlirg 
for  Charlie,  treated  them  to  some  of  his  conversa- 
tion ;  he  asked  their  names  ;  "  Jim  and  Tom  Rich- 
ardson," was  the  reply  ;  and  Charlie,  who  happened 
to  be  in  a  good  humour,  repeated  the  words,  to 
their  great  surprise  and  enjoyment.  Then  came 
the  time  for  rest ;  and  taking  his  cloaks  from  the 
nail  on  which  they  had  been  hung,  the  traveller 
prepared  to  join  Tiger  and  Kinchela,  who  had  al- 
ready laid  themselves  down.  This  caused  much 
astonishment  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson  ;  but  he 
said  he  had  been  so  long  accustomed  to  the  open 
air,  that  he  preferred  it,  and  would  join  them  at 
breakfast  the  next  morning.  The  good  couple  for 
awhile  remonstrated  ;  but  finding  their  visitor  in- 
flexible, with  true  hospitality  sufl'ered  him  to  do 
that  which  he  liked  best. 

Breakfast  was  ready  at  an  early  hour  ;  the  sheep 
and  cattle  were  already  gone  to  their  pastures,  and 
'.he  exquisite  climate  and  scenery  seemed  to  make 
his  spot  the  beau  ideal  of  a  pastoral  life.  The 
whole  of  the  neighbouring  country  was  apparently 
in  the  possession  of  settlers,  and  its  wild  products 
were  coAsequently  less  abundant;  still,  so  accus- 
al 


ll-O         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

tomed  had  the  traveller  been  to  find  ample  suste 
nance  in  the  desert,  that  he  was  about  to  start  on 
the  second  morning  without  taking  thought  for 
future  provision.  Mr.  Richardson,  however,  said, 
"  I  shall  make  up  a  parcel  of  eatables,  for  you  and 
your  servant,  sir  ;  your  horse  and  bird  will  find 
plenty  to  eat,  but  human  food  will  be  scarce." 
Captain  Spencer  started,  for  the  idea  of  difficulty 
had  not  occurred  ;'  but  recollecting  himself,  he  ex- 
pressed his  thanks,  and  asked  if  he  should  not  find 
any  inns  on  the  way.  "  Yes,"  replied  the  stock- 
keeper,  "  more  than  one,  sir ;  but  I  would  not  ad- 
vise you  to  trust  to  them,  for  they  are  often  so  full 
of  riot,  drunkenness,  and  quarrelling,  that  a  gentle- 
man like  you  will  scarcely  be  willing  to  put  up  at 
such  places."  Captain  Spencer  smiled,  and  looked 
at  his  dress ;  his  host  understood  him,  and  added, 
"  I  know  a  gentleman,  sir,  whatever  clothes  he 
may  wear.  You  are  not  an  Overlander,  so  I  sup- 
pose you  are  a  traveller,  and  travelling  quite  spoils 
the  dress."  "True,  friend,"  said  the  soldier,  "I 
am  a  traveller  against  my  will,  and  have  come  a 
great  way ;  and  now  I  recollect  myself,  I  have 
none  but  Indian  money,  and  a  letter  of  credit, 
which  will  not  be  of  much  use  at  a  wayside  inn." 
"  I  have  but  little  to  lend  you,  sir,"  said  the  honest 
stock-keeper  ;  "  but  I  can  let  you  have  a  few  shil- 
lings ;  you  can  send  them  back  to  me  some  how  or 
other,   when  you  get  your   own  money."     "  My 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  41 

good  friend,"  said  tlie  soldier,  offering  his  hand, 
"  this  is  true  hospitality ;  stranger  as  I  am,  you 
trust  me,  and  I  shall  never  forget  your  kindness. 
After  having  found  my  way,  partly  without  humaa 
assistance,  across  a  large  portion  of  this  extraordi' 
nary  country,  I  can  do  with  very  little ;  Gip  will, 
I  suppose,  find  Rats  and  Opossums,  Charlie  in- 
sects, Tiger  grass,  and  if  all  these  things  set  aside 
on  the  dresser  are  for  me,  Kinchela  and  I  shall 
have  enough  for  many  days ;  but  if  not.  Gum-trees 
would  supply  our  wants."  "  Gum-trees  !"  ex- 
claimed Mrs.  Richardson,  with  an  astonished  look. 
"  Yes,  I  have  more  than  once  lived  on  the  bark 
and  roots  for  many  days."  "  Oh !  sir,"  continued 
she,  with  an  uncontrollable  impulse,  "  if  you  would 
but  stay  with  us  a  day  longer,  and  tell  us  all  that 
has  happened  to  you,  it  would  not  take  my  hus- 
band from  his  work,  because  this  is  slack  time  with 
us.  When  I  have  made  the  place  tidy,  if  you 
would  be  so  kind,  it  would  give  us  such  pleasure, 
and  we  should  talk  all  our  lives  about  your  adven- 
tures. We  have  read  our  books  so  often,  that  we 
are  tired  of  them  ;  but  we  should  never  weary  in 
talking  of  you."  Captain  Spencer  smiled  at  the 
earnestness  of  Mrs.  Richardson,  and  willingly  con- 
sented to  reward  his  host  and  hostess  for  their 
kindness  by  an  ample  account  of  all  he  had  seen, 
suffered,  and  enjoyed ;  nor  did  he  ever  feel  more 
pleasure  in  narrating  his  history  than  in  imparting 


il2         AUSTRALIAN      WANDERERS. 

i  to  those  simple  persons,  who  seldom  interrupted 
him,  and  when  they  did,  it  was  with  some  artless 
expression  of  wonder  and  sympathy,  or  by  some 
apt  question  which  only  gave  him  fresh  zest  to  con- 
tinue. When  he  actually  did  depart  the  next  day, 
he  gave  each  of  the  children  a  gold  coin  to  keep 
in  remembrance  of  him ;  and  Richardson  and  his 
wife  took  leave  of  him  with  tears  in  their  eyes. 
"  You  have  taught  us  a  lesson  of  trust,  sir,"  said 
the  stock-keeper,  "  which  I  hope  we  shall  never 
forget.  Few  leave  their  own  country  for  ever  of 
their  own  accord,  without  having  suffered  much,- 
and  I  hare  had  my  share ;  but  it  now  seems  to  me 
as  if  I  had  not  trusted  enough  to  God.  Besides 
which,  you  have  put  his  goodness  in  a  new  light, 
by  teaching  us  the  uses  of  many  things,  which 
have  till  now  been  wasted  on  us  ;  and  what  is  more, 
you  and  Kinchela  have  given  me  new  feelings 
about  the  blacks,  which  I  should  never  have  had 
without  you,  for  I  have  judged  of  them  only  by 
those  which  I  have  seen  about  the  colony.  Ah, 
sir  !  you  will  be  grieved  when  you  see  the  poor 
drunken  creatures  lying  about  like  beasts  ;  but  I 
must  not  talk  any  more,  and  so  prevent  you  from 
starting.  We  shall  pray  for,  and  never  forget 
you,  and  I  hope  you  will  always  remember  farmer 
Richardson,  the  superintendent  of  Oakley  Farm." 
Assurances  to  this  effect  were  warmly  given  ;  and 
Edward  Spencer  and  his  companion  again  set  out 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  41S 

apoL  theii  ti-avcls,  the  heart  of  the  soldier  re- 
freshed by  this  short  intercourse  with  such  speci- 
mens from  his  own  country. 

Deeply  did  the  English  traveller,  as  he  passed 
along,  regret  the  beautiful  wilderness  which  he  had 
left  behind  him,  for  the  country  which  now  met  his 
eye  was  only  half  what  is  called  "  redeemed  from 
the  waste."  Some  of  the  ground  was  enclosed 
for  the  purposes  of  agriculture,  in  other  places  the 
white  trunks  of  trees  lay  scattered  on  the  soil  in 
disorder.  The  labour  of  man  had  not  replaced 
Nature's  prolific  treasures  ;  untidy  hovels,  few  and 
far  between,  composed  of  slabs  stuck  up  like  pal- 
ings, and  thatched  with  bark,  sheltered  the  culti- 
vators of  the  soil ;  but  even  these  were  frequently 
in  a  state  which  showed  that  the  emigrants  there 
were  not  of  Britain's  orderly  children,  or  were  of 
that  unruly  portion  which  every  race  of  human 
beings  presents.  The  thatch  was  frequently  hang- 
ing in  shreds,  the  broken  windows  were  stopped  up 
with  rags,  the  doors  were  off  their  hinges,  and 
fragments  of  bottles,  cinders,  and  rubbish  were 
lying  around  the  immediate  vicinity.  Captain 
Spencer  smiled  Avhen  he  met  with  a  finger-post, 
informing  him  in  what  township  he  was,  without 
seeing  even  a  trace  of  a  dwelling;  reminding  him 
of  what  he  had  read  of  allotments  of  land  in 
America ;  and  he  now  saw  the  force  of  what  the 
stock-keeper  had  said  respecting  the  difficulty  of 
35* 


414  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

finding  food  for  himself  £tnd  Kinchela.  He  had 
received  ample  instructions  as  to  the  way  in  which 
he  was  to  proceed,  and  found  himself,  in  obedience 
to  those  indications,  going  south,  and  mountains 
rising  up  before  him.  "Kinchela,"  said  he,  "we 
must  pass  over  these  mountains."  "These  bigger 
than  other  mountains  far,  far  away,"  replied  Kin- 
chela. The  party  bent  their  steps  towards  them, 
and  hourly  received  fresh  proofs  of  the  capricious- 
ness  of  the  rains  in  Australia.  They  were  now  in 
a  district  which  had  evidently  been  without  them 
for  a  long  time  ;  the  dry  rivulets,  the  rusty  leaves, 
the  dusty  roads,  deserted  cattle  and  sheep  stations, 
seemed  to  show  that  no  moisture  had  gladdened 
the  earth ;  a  tale  that  was  familiar,  having  drought 
for  its  burden.  The  only  food  for  Tiger  was  maize, 
the  plantations  of  which  having  been  deserted,  his 
master  not  only  suffered  him  to  browse  on  it,  but 
the  bags  were  filled  with  it  in  case  of  future  scar- 
city. The  approach  of  the  travellers  scattered 
from  it  immense  flights  of  green,  blue,  yellow,  and 
crimson  Parrots,  Cockatoos  of  various  kinds,  Pi- 
geons, Finches,  Swallows;  in  short,  all  the  birds 
of  eastern  Australia,  and  most  of  those  from  the 
other  portions  of  the  country  seemed  to  congre- 
gate in  these  fields  of  grain,  affording  a  rich  har- 
vest for  the  sustenance  of  the  strangers,  who  rested 
there  to  secure  a  stock  of  food ;  and  Captain 
Spencer  was  amused  to  see  how  carefully  Kinchela 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  415 

avoided  the  destruction  of  Pigeons,  as  if  he  had  a 
superstitious  reverence  for  them. 

The  path  by  which  Captain  Spencer  ascended 
the  limestone  mountains  was  narrow  and  steep, 
but  slabs  of  wood  occasionally  made  them  a  little 
more  passable.  They  met  five  heavily-laden  drays, 
just  like  those  of  English  brewers ;  two  men  at- 
tached to  each,  which  had  conveyed  the  produce 
of  their  owners'  farms,  such  as  hides,  tallow,  and 
wines,  either  for  home  consumption  in  Sydney,  or 
for  exportation,  and  were  returning  with  the  goods 
which  they  had  received  in  exchange.  Captain 
Spencer  drew  up  on  a  crag  above  the  path,  and 
watched  them  as  they  passed ;  each  covered  with  a 
tarpauling,  and  drawn  by  eight  or  ten  oxen,  hav- 
ing no  other  harness  than  bows,  ropes,  and  yokes, 
and  all  going  on  so  quietly  and  patiently,  that  they 
needed  no  other.  The  drivers  seemed  to  be  xery 
much  astonished  at  the  party  above,  and  one  asked 
if  they  had  met  with  any  water  lately.  Captain 
Spencer  informed  the  man  of  a  muddy  pool,  and 
he  in  return  gave  him  a  knowing  wink  ;  and  turn- 
ing round  to  his  companion,  said,  "  A  queer  chap 
that.  I  can't  think  what  he  is ;  he's  too  near  to 
be  a  ranger,  and  not  a  bit  like  a  police."  "  He's 
a  travelling  merchant,  Dick,"  said  the  other  man, 
"with  that  pack  on  the  horse's  back ;  and  yet," 
continued  the  man,  looking  once  again,  "  the  horse 
is  a  beauty." 


416    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

On  getting  higher  up  the  mountains,  the  climate 
became  raw  and  cokl ;  and  as  poor  Kinchela 
wrapped  his  Kangaroo-cloak  round  hira,  his  mas- 
ter began  to  think  that  he  was  placed  in  an  awk- 
ward dilemma.  He  was  going  to  a  civilized  dwell- 
ing, and  had  no  clothes  for  his  servant ;  the  whole 
of  kis  o^vn  wardrobe  was  on  his  back,  and  that  in 
such  a  wretched  condition  that  he  every  day 
dreaded  it  would  yawn  too  widely  ever  to  come  to- 
gether again.  He  saw,  with  some  degree  of  com- 
fort, that  Kinchela's  cloak  was  unusually  long,  and 
he  hoped  that  the  ladies  of  the  family  would  not 
be  too  fastidious.  When  he  looked  back  upon  all 
the  difficulties  which  had  beset  him,  he  could  not 
help  smiling  to  find  that  dress  should  be  so  per- 
plexing, and  even  cause  him  annoyance.  They 
began  to  descend,  and  a  sharp  turn  in  the  path 
opened  to  them  a  lovely  landscape,  whose  sudden 
fertility  and  verdure,  owing  to  the  permanent;  na- 
ture of  some  of  the  streams,  formed  a  striking  and 
cheerful  contrast  to  the  dreary,  parched  region 
which  tney  had  just  passed,  where  frequent  and 
tall  columns  of  dust,  at  least  one  hundred  feet 
high,  had  passed  them,  gliding  rapidly  and  myste- 
riously along,  at  an  immense  rate.  On  the  moun- 
tains themselves,  they  had  been  much  tormexited 
by  swarms  of  Ants,  some  with  black  bodies,  red 
heads  and  legs,  and  yellow  forceps,  which  jumped 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  417 

at  them  as  tliey  passed,  emitted  a  nauseous  odour, 
and  bit  Kinchela  severely. 

The  route  still  continued  along  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  now  and  then  cheered  by  a  patch  of 
shrubs,  or  a  trailing  plant,  such  as  one  of  the  'Ken- 
nedias,  and  again  did  the  travellers  meet  with 
Grass-trees,  and  resting  for  the  night  close  by  one 
of  them,  Kinchela  set  fire  to  it,  and  created  an 
immense  sensation,  as  Captain  Spencer  afterwards 
heard,  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  plain  below, 
whose  curiosity  and  surprise  induced  them  to  rush 
out  of  their  houses  to  behold  the  men  and  the  fire 
on  the  mountain.  At  length  they  saw  the  river, 
which  had  been  described  to  them,  and  descending 
as  soon  as  possible  into  the  valley,  they  wound 
along  its  banks,  delighting  their  eyes  by  looking 
at  old  friends  in  the  shape  of  tall  trees,  reeds,  and 
frogs  ;  and  new  ones  in  the  form  of  flowers,  one 
of  which  was  like  a  fringed  Violet.  There  were, 
however,  new  torments ;  for  stinging  flies  worried 
Tiger,  who,  after  trying  to  get  rid  of  them  by 
sundry  antics,  rushed  up  to  his  master,  as  much  as 
to  say.  Rid  me  of  my  persecutors. 

The  river  became  gradually  wider;  small  and 
beautiful  islands  studded  its  clear  waters,  which 
were  adorned  with  exquisite  shrubs,  the  habitations 
of  splendid  birds  and  insects.  Trees  descended  to 
the  water's  edge,  or  retreating  to  a  distance  left  a 
green,  grassy  slope,  on  one  of  which  they  rested 


418         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

for  the  night.     The  next  morning  they  retreated 
from  the  river,  and  following  what  appeared  to  be 
a  road,  they  met  a  party  of  farm-servants  with  a 
horse,  and  themselves  nearly  covered  with  a  quan- 
tity of  boughs,  belonging  to  a  very  beautiful  shrub. 
Its  leaves  were  like  those  of  the  Horse-chestnut  in 
shape,  but  the  upper  side  was  dark-green,  and  the 
under  quite  pale.     The  starry  flowers  were  placed 
like  sprays  at  the  end  of  the  twigs ;  all  the  flower- 
buds  were   of  a  greenish-white  ;  but  as  they  ad- 
vanced towards  maturity,  they  passed  from  pure 
white  into  rose-colour,  and  at  Last  became  quite 
crimson.     They  smelt  like  new  hay  ;  and  the  men 
were  laughing  under  their  burdens,  by  which  they 
were  so  blinded,  that  they  had  not  seen  Captain 
Spencer.     He  asked  them  in  which  direction  he 
should  find  jMr.  Onslow's  farm  ;  and  then  they  all 
moved  the  leaves  from  before  their  eyes,  to  stare  at 
the  strangers.     "  Up  the  hill  yonder,"  said  one  of 
the  men,  peeping  from  his  leafy  covering  ;  "  we 
are  his  servants,  and  as  this  is  Christmas  eve,  we 
have  been  to  fetch  flowers  for  dressing  up  the 
house."     Dressing  the  house  for  Christmas-day  ! 
What  a  happy  sound  did  that  convey  to  a  poor 
wanderer,  who  had  been  so  long  deprived  of  Chris- 
tian worship,  except  in  his  own  heart.     Reminis- 
cecces  and  a  host  of  feelings  crowded  so  thickly 
upon  him,  that  he  could  not  speak.     "  If  you  will 
follow  us,  sir,"  continued  the  man,  "  we  will  show 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  419 

you  the  shortest  way  to  the  house."  The  laugh- 
ing had  ceased;  and  the  whole  party,  looking  at 
Captain  Spencer,  whispered  conjectures  to  each 
other,  as  tp  who  and  what  he  might  be.  "  Do  you 
know  Mr.  St.  John  ?"  said  the  traveller.  "  Oh, 
yes,  sir!"  was  the  reply;  "he  was  here  a  few 
months  ago,  bought  stock  of  my  master,  and  was 
going  with  it,  by  the  Darling,  to  Adelaide."  "It 
was  by  the  side  of  that  river  I  met  him,  and  he 
gave  me  a  letter  for  Mr.  Onslow,  which  I  will  thank 
you  to  take  to  him."  "  Certainly,  sir.  Do  you 
know  how  stock  has  been  selling  at  Adelaide?" 
asked  the  man,  eyeing  Captain  Spencer  from  head 
to  foot,  and  evidently  taking  him  for  an  Overlander. 
"I  have  not  been  there,"  he  replied,  "  nor  did  I 
meet  with  any  one  coming  from  thence." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

r:so-:pt:oii  of  Mr.  Onslow's  farm — Cordial  reception  of  Captain 
Spencer — Clothes  supplied— Conversations  about  Aborigines — ■ 
Mr.  Onslow  wishes  for  Kinchela  to  enter  his  service — Kinchela 
refuses — Dingoes,  sheep,  cattle^Mrs.  Onslow's  garden — Hunt 
stray  cattle — Wayside  inn — Captain  Spencer's  courage  and  nerve 
— Tiger's  good  behaviour — Letter  from  stock-keeper  Richardson, 
describing  an  nntervievv  with  Harry  Blunt — Endeavours  to  per- 
suade Captain  Spencer  to  settle  in  Australia — Conversation  with 
Mr.  Onslow — Description  of  woods — Mare  eats  a  foal — English 
plants  spring  up  in  the  neighbourhood  of  cattle — Tarantula — 
Native  cat — Adventure  of  the  pumpkins — Parting — Mr.  Onslow 
goe.*  to  Sydney  with  Captain  Spencer — Kinchela  rides  with  them 
— Mrs.  Onslow's  courage  when  attacked  by  natives — Arrival  at 
Sydney — Charlie — Attempt  of  Gipsy,  Tiger,  and  Charlie  to  ac- 
company their  master — Harry  Elunt  taken — Captain  Spencer 
obtains  a  mitigation  of  his  sentence — Harry  afterwards  becomes 
a  faithful  servant  to  Mr.  Onslow — Captain  Spencer  sends  pre- 
sents to  all  his  friends — Ai-rival  of  all  the  travellers  in  Bombay — 
Letter  from  Mr.  George  Onslow  about  the  Gold-mines. 

The  whole  party  had  reached  the  top  of  the 
bank,  which  they  had  ascended  by  way  of  making 
a  short  cut,  and  Captain  Spencer  paused  at  the 
charming  scene  before  him.  On  a  rising  ground 
stood  a  long,  low,  white  house,  plastered  in  imita- 
tion of  stone,  thatched  with  bark,  so  skilfully  put 
on  that  it  looked  like  a  smooth,  symmetrical  cover- 
ing ;  a  green  verandah  shaded  the  front  and  sides 
of  the  house,  and  it  was  raised  a  few  steps  from 
(420) 


AUSTRALIAN    AVANDERERS.  4£1 

the  ground ;  a  small  lake  on  one  side  communicated 
with  the  river,  an  extensive  kitchen  and  flower- 
garden  encircled  the  house,  bejond  which  was  a 
paddock  for  saddle-horses,  another  for  milch  cows 
and  working  bullocks,  and  close  by  was  a  vineyard. 
A  line  of  low  buildings,  stables,  sheds,  cattle-yards, 
&c.,  occupied  the  other  side  ;  and  the  trees  in  the 
garden,  and  the  hills  at  the  back,  rendered  it  a 
perfect  picture  of  a  settler's  home.  An  air  of 
neatness,  and  even  of  elegance,  reigned  over  the 
whole,  and  showed  that  the  establishment  was  con- 
ducted with  the  most  consummate  care  and  skill. 
"  This  is  reckoned  one  of  the  finest  ftirms  in  the 
country,"  said  Captain  Spencer's  conductor  ;  "  my 
master  and  the  young  gentlemen  do  and  see  so 
much  to  everything  themselves,  and  my  mistress  is 
so  fond  of  her  garden,  that  it  is  full  of  the  plants 
and  fruits  of  all  countries."  It  was  not  compact 
enough  to  be  English  ;  but  the  repose,  the  clean- 
liness, the  comfort,  and  convenience,  showed  that 
English  habits  were  there  practised ;  and  so  occu- 
pied was  the  soldier  by  it,  that  only  when  they 
reached  the  inner  gate  of  the  domain,  did  he  recol- 
lect the  leaf  on  which  Mr.  St.  John  had  written 
his  introduction  ;  he  stopped  and  pulled  it  from  his 
pocket,  the  man  deposited  his  load  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  another,  and  took  the  message  to  his  em- 
ployers. While  he  was  gone,  Kinchela  came  up 
to  his  master,  and  said,  "  Spose,  Boccolo,  very  big 
36 


-t22  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

aian  live  in  that  liouse."  "Why?"  said  his  mas- 
tar.  "Because  it  very  big  house,"  was  the  reply. 
"We  shall  soon  see,"  returned  his  mastei,  "for 
here  come  two  of  the  gentlemen."  Mr.  Onslow 
had  read  the  paper,  and  his  sons  had  looked  at  it 
over  his  shoulder  :  scarcely  giving  themselves  time 
to  get  to  the  end,  they  both  bounded  to  the  gate, 
and  Mr.  Onslow  went  into  the  house  to  tell  his 
wife  and  daughter.  Each  of  the  young  men  seized 
a  hand  of  the  stranger,  the  eldest  saying,  "Any 
and  every  friend  of  St.  John's  is  most  welcome 
here.  Walk  in,  Captain  Spencer  ;  my  father  him- 
self is  coming  to  meet  you."  Captain  Spencer 
hesitated,  and  looked  at  Tiger,  Gip,  and  Kinchela. 
"There  is  room  for  all  of  you,"  said  Mr.  Onslow, 
who  now  came  up  and  read  the  traveller's  thoughts ; 
"  we  are  right  glad  to  see  one  coming  from  St. 
John.  Your  servant  can  put  your  horse  into  a 
comfortable  stable,  while  you  and  your  dog  come 
with  us."  Captain  Spencer  raised  his  hat  from 
his  head,  and  bowed  his  thanks ;  and  he  then  said, 
"  I  have  yet  another  companion  ;"  and  he  gave  the 
fiiajnal  for  Charlie.  In  half  a  minute  the  bird  flew 
on  to  his  master's  shoulder,  ^claiming,  "All's 
right,  Charlie's  coming!"  and  looking  round  him 
at  the  group,  added,  "  What  a  row  !"  The  aston- 
ished owners  of  Onslow's  farm  burst  into  a  laugh 
"  Now  go  to  Tiger,  good  bird,"  said  his  master, 
•ind  Charlie   j)erched  himself  on  the  horse's  back 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.        423 

The  love  of  these  two  for  Kinchela  was  now  only 
secondary  to  that  which  they  felt  for  their  pos- 
sessor, so  that  they  went  contentedly  with  him ; 
and  Gip,  who  had  already  been  welcomed  by  vari- 
ous members  of  the  canine  race,  leaped  into  her 
master's  arms,  where  she  was  buttoned  up  inside 
his  jacket,  so  as  not  to  incommode  him  in  return- 
ins  the  kind  salutations  which  met  him  on  all 
sides,  and  not  the  least  from  the  ladies.  They 
said  tea  was  about  to  be  served ;  and  he  was  there- 
fore at  once  shown  into  the  room  he  was  to  occupy, 
where  the  luxury  of  soap  and  towels  made  him 
revel  in  the  resumption  of  long-lost  comforts.  A 
servant  entered  to  ask  if  he  should  fetch  his  things 
from  the  stable  ;  at  which  Captain  Spencer  smiled, 
and  replied,  "that  he  must  appear  as  he  was,  for 
he  had  no  other  clothes,  and  that  he  would  himself 
go  to  the  stable  before  bed-time."  His  chief  an- 
noyance at  that  moment  was,  that  it  should  be  dis- 
covered he  had  no  linen  ;  and  he  buttoned  up  his 
jacket,  and  combed  his  handsome  beard  carefully 
over  his  bronzed  throat,  flattering  himself  it  was 
not  deteriorated  by  the  sand-scrubbing  which  it 
had  so  constantly  received.  He  gave  his  whole 
Buit  a  good  beating;  and  when  he  had  made  his 
last  effort  he  recollected  that  there  was  a  looking- 
glass  in  which  he  might  contemplate  the  effect  he 
had  produced.  He  not  only  started,  when  he 
looked  at  himself,  but  he  remained  so  astoigiished 


424  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

it  the  alteration,  from  the  yellow,  sickly  face, 
which  he  had  last  beheld,  that  he  was  still  stand- 
ing before  the  mirror  when  Mr.  George  Onslow 
came  to  tell  him  tea  was  ready. 

The  impression  made  by  Captain  Spencer's  voice 
ard  manner  had  been  too  favourable  to  suffer  his 
shabby  habiliments  to  lessen  the  respect  felt  for 
him  ;  and  when  he  found  himself  so  suddenly  trans- 
ported from  the  wild  woods  into  the  society  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  he  felt  as  if  in  a  dream. 
He  looked  round  him  instead  of  eating,  and  saw 
the  refinements  of  polished  life,  books,  work,  mu- 
sical instruments,  and  heard  the  low,  sweet  voices 
about  him,  as  if  *hey  were  not  real,  till  they  noticed 
his  abstraction.  "Forgive  me,"  he  said;  "I  do 
not  feel  as  if  I  v,ere  myself.  My  first  astonish- 
ment and  doubt  was  occasioned,  however,  by  seeing 
myself  in  a  looking-glass,  and  now — I  think  you 
must  turn  me  out  again,  that  I  may  be  sure  of  my 
own  identity."  The  night  was  far  advanced  when 
J\o  parties  separated ;  the  traveller's  adventures 
were  related  and  heard  Avith  so  breathless  an  in- 
terest, that  there  was  no  commentary,  except  an 
exclamation,  and  no  inquiry,  for  fear  of  interrup- 
tion. "  You  must  stay  with  us  as  long  as  you  can," 
f?aid  Mr.  Onslow,  "  and  when  you  must  go  I  will 
accompany  you  to  Sydney."  "  I  should  only  be  'oo 
happy  to  remain  for  a  time,"  answered  the  guest, 
■  but  I  am  too  poorly  clad  to  delay  reaching  a 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  425 

place  where  I  can  get  freshly  accoutred."  "We 
can  help  you,"  said  both  the  young  men,  "and  to- 
morrow morning  we  will  have  a  consultation ;  my 
father's  things  will  be  much  too  wide  for  you." 
The  stable  was  visited,  and  the  three  travellers 
there  were  found  fast  asleep.  Kinchela  was  awoke, 
with  a  strict  injunction  not  to  appear  without  his 
kangaroo-cloak  :  and  Gip  returned  with  her  mas- 
ter, to  sleep  by  his  side  on  the  bed-room  floor. 

All  masters  of  farms  keep  stores  of  clothing,  of 
which  they  dispose  to  their  workmen,  and  from 
these  Kinchela  was  equipped  with  new  shirts,  for 
his  own  had  been  entirely  worn  out  since  he  left 
the  Marie  ;  and  Captain  Spencer  was  supplied  by 
the  young  men,  who,  at  an  early  hour,  entered 
with  all  they  could  find  which  they  thought  might 
be  useful.  "  My  father  is  ahvays  saying  we  are 
extravagant,"  said  George  Onslow;  "but  I  am 
sure  he  Avill  now  be  very  glad  that  we  have  enough 
for  a  friend."  Between  the  two  tall  youths,  the 
handsome  soldier  was  well  equipped ;  the  beard 
was  reduced  to  a  short  fringe,  and  Edward  Spen- 
cer was  himself  again.  The  house  Avas  decorated 
for  the  festival ;  and  after  breakfast,  Mr.  Onslow 
assembled  all  liis  men,  and  read  prayers,  among 
which  he  offered  up  a  thanksgiving  for  the  safety 
and  preservation  of  his  newly-arrived  guest,  whose 
lieart  swelled  with  gratitude,  and  who  hailed  the 
retui'n  of  this  glorious  anniversary  Avith  a  depth 
36* 


426  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

of  devotion  which  few  can  conceive  who  have  not 
been  the  object  of  such  signal  mercies  as  he  had 
experienced. 

Time  passed  swiftly ;  and  Captain  Spencer  be- 
came so  interested  in  the  settler's  occupations,  that 
his  friends,  who  quickly  attached  themselves  to 
him,  entreated  of  him  to  abandon  the  soldier's  life, 
and  come  among  them  to  live,  saying,  that  with 
his  influence,  his  knowledge  of  native  customs,  his 
acquaintance  with  their  languages,  he  might  not 
only  benefit  himself,  but  save  the  aborigines  from 
some  of  the  degrading  consequences  which  the 
vicinity  of  white  men  seemed  to  entail  upon  them. 
"At  Sydney,"  said  Mr.  Onslow,  "and  indeed  we 
need  not  go  so  far  for  such  sad  examples,  you  will 
see  the  state  to  which  they  are  reduced,  as  it  were, 
upon  their  own  soil ;  but  I  hope  the  time  will  come 
when  it  will  be  thought  criminal  to  fire  upon  them, 
as  if  they  were  a  flight  of  crows  invading  our 
fields  of  grain,  whereas  it  is  we  who  are  the  invad- 
ing crows.  The  settlement  of  Moorundi,  near 
Adelaide,  has  already  produced  a  humanising  ef- 
fect ;  and  your  Kinchela  is  a  proof  how  much  may 
be  done,  at  least  with  some  dispositions.  We  em- 
ploy several  about  the  farm,  and  find  them  useful, 
docile,  and  intelligent ;  how  far  they  would  be  faith- 
ful in  any  attack  from  their  own  tribe,  we  have  no 
opportunity  of  judging,  nor  do  we  wish  to  have; 
but  we  take  great  care  to  keep  what  they  call  fire* 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.    427 

water  from  them,  for  that  destroys  both  body  and 
soul."  "  But  has  no  effort  been  made  to  chris- 
tianise them?"  asked  Captain  Spencer.  "Yes, 
many,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  we  have  missionaries  and 
schools  in  the  townships,  as  well  as  the  head  colony, 
and  success  has  altogether  equalled  expectation." 
"It  surprises  me,"  resumed  Captain  Spencer,  "that 
these  people  should  always  have  been  reported 
lower  in  the  scale  of  intellect  than  any  other  sav- 
ages ;  they  argue  shrewdly,  comprehend  much, 
have  rules  of  government,  extraordinary  ceremo- 
nies, although  not  of  a  religious  nature — a  quiet 
submission  to  what  they  think  justice,  and  well- 
defined  notions  of  landed  property — all  of  which 
betoken  a  much  more  advanced  condition  than  that 
with  which  they  are  credited.  Perhaps  it  is  the 
treatment  of  their  women  which  has  given  rise  to 
the  stigma."  "  Oh,  in  that  respect  I  have  nothing 
to  say  in  their  favour,"  replied  Mr.  Onslow. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  Kiuchela  ?" 
said  Mr.  Onslow  one  day  to  his  new  friend.  "  I 
have  promised  to  take  him  with  me,"  replied  Cap- 
tain Spencer,  "  wherever  I  go,  though  I  .confess  I 
shall  find  some  difficulties  with  him  in  India,  among 
the  jealous  Hindoos  ;  but  there  I  think  I  can  keep 
the  gin-bottle  from  him."  "  I  was  going  to  ask 
you  to  leave  him  with  us,  as  house-servant."  "It 
vvould  be  much  to  his  advantage  to  do  so,  especi- 
illy  as  you  would  not  spoil  him.     At  present  I 


428  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

must  confess  your  men  h.ive  made  so  much  of  him, 
that  he  is  in  a  complete  state  of  puppyism  ;  how- 
ever, we  will  ask  him."  Kinchela  was  summoned, 
and  Mr.  Onslow's  proposal  stated,  at  which  the 
poor  fellow  at  first  looked  astonished,  then  angry, 
and  at  last  putting  up  his  hands,  and  tears  rolling 
down  his  cheeks,  he  implored  his  master  not  to  for- 
get his  promise  of  taking  him  wherever  he  went : 
"  Boccolo  stay,"  said  he,  "  Kinchela  stay  ;  Boccolo 
keep  here,  Kinchela  glad ;  Boccolo  go  away,  Kin- 
chela go  away,  and  glad  too."  He  was  assured 
that  he  should  do  as  he  pleased  ;  and  he  then  re- 
peated that  it  was  "  best  for  Kinchela  to  be  with 
Boccolo,  Gip,  Tiger,  and  Charlie."  "It  would  be 
wrong  to  press  him  any  further,"  said  Mr.  Onslow; 
"  but  if  you  ever  wish  to  part  with  him,  while  he 
is  as  he  is,  send  him  to  us ;  unless,  indeed,  you 
yourself  bring  him."  "  I  have  thought  much 
about  settling  here,"  was  the  reply;  "but  I  do 
not  deem  it  would  be  honourable  to  quit  the  ser- 
vice in  which  I  am  engaged,  while  I  can  be  useful 
in  it ;  but  perhaps  I  may  pa}'-  you  a  visit.  Now  I 
linger  in  this  charming  circle  as  a  sort  of  repay- 
ment for  all  my  sufferings  ;  but  I  feel  that  the  duty 
of  a  soldier,  in  spite^of  an  extended  furlough,  is 
with  his  regiment."  "  You  yiust  not  talk  of  going 
vet,"  said  Frederick  Onslow,  who  now  came  up, 
"  we  have  a  hundred  things  for  you  to  see  and  do : 
we  are  going  into  the  busn,  to  try  and  bring  back 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS.    429 

gome  stray  cattle,  and,  of  course,  you  will  go  with 
us.  Fortunately  we  have  just  shorn  our  sheep, 
and  to-inorrow  we  begin  folding  and  packing,  so 
that  our  time  will  be  more  our  own." 

The  next  morning  the  traveller  found  his  way 
through  the  cat'tle  and  sheep  folds,  to  a  long,  low 
shed,  devoted  to  the  wool,  where  Mr.  Onslow  had 
already  stationed  himself,  to  superintend  the  pro- 
cess which  was  going  forward  on  a  large  table. 
"Which  is  the  best  breed?"  asked  Captain  Spen- 
cer. "  The  Merino,"  answered  Mr.  Onslow  ;  "  and 
we  form  our  flocks  into  five,  of  800  heads,  which 
are  watched  as  you  have  seen  ;  but  occasionally, 
if  they  lie  far  out,  the  shepherds  sleep  in  a  mer-: 
box,  and  this  is  necessary  on  account  of  the  War- 
ragles,  or  Dingoes.  We  are  obliged  to  be  very 
strict  with  cur  shepherds,  or  they  would  grow  in- 
dolent and  careless,  and  we  deduct  the  value  of  the 
missing  sheep  from  their  wages.  They  never  are 
fit  for  anything  else,  after  leading  so  monotonous 
a  life.  Next  to  the  Dingoes,  our  greatest  nuisance 
with  the  sheep  is  a  burr,  the  seeds  of  which  are 
set  with  hooks,  which  turn  backwards,*  mix  with 
the  wool,  as  you  see  here,  and  it  is  next  to  impos- 
sible to  get  them  out.  I  have  farms  entirely  for 
sheep,  and  others  for  cattle  ;  for  unless  under  your 
own  eye,  it  is  best  to  have  them  separate."  "  How 
many  have  you  at  these  farms  ?"     "  At  one  I  hav-i 

*  Calotes  uncifolia. 


430  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

20,000  ;  less  than  5000  will  not  answer.  As  to 
my  cattle,  it  would  be  difficult  to  count  them  to  a 
nicety,  for  they  are  always  straying  to  a  distance; 
but  all  are  branded.  The  branding  is  a  most  ex- 
citing aflfair ;  for  the  -men  stand  with  their  hot 
irons  ready,  while  others  drive  the  animals  to  them, 
and  you  will  suppose  the  difficulty  there  is  in  get- 
ting them  to  the  proper  spot."  "  What  is  that 
long  line  of  sheds  for  ?"  asked  Captain  Spencer. 
"  For  my  working  men,  who  are  very  comfortable 
in  them,  I  assure  you,"  "And  now,  as  I  am  in 
an  inquisitive  vein,  do  tell  me  why  you  have  that 
pa  rows  in  your  yard  ;  do  you  take  the  law  into 
your  own  hands?"  "You  shall  soon  see,"  said 
Mr.  Onslow,  "  for  there  iis  a  movement  near  the 
cattle-yard,  and  the  slaughter  took  place  last 
night."  As  he  spoke,  some  men  brought  a  bul- 
lock to  the  gallows,  and  by  a  pulley  hoisted  it  to 
the  top,  where  it  was  to  be  cut  up.  "  That  is  the 
extent  of  my  penal  avocations,"  said  Mr.  Onslow. 
"  Captain  Spencer,"  said  a  cheerful  voice,  "for 
a  man  who  professes  to  admire  flowers,  I  do  not 
think  you  have  paid  sufficient  respect  to  my  gar- 
den." "Indeed,  Mrs.  Onslow,  I  have;  my  walks 
in  it  take  place  every  morning  before  you  are  up, 
although  you  are  a  very  early  person ;  but  I  now 
challenge  you  to  a  tete-a-tete  walk  in  it  this  eve- 
ning." "You  had  better  not,"  interfered  Miss 
Onslow.  "  for  if  von  do  vou  will  stand  a  chance  of 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  431 

not  going  to  bed :  mamma  never  knows  when  to 
finish  if  she  gets  on  horticultural  topics ;  and  I 
warn  jou  that  she  means  to  coax  you  out  of  some 
seeds  from  India."  "  I  will  promise  them  before- 
hand, and  I  shall  trust  to  you  to  come  to  my  res- 
cue, when  you  think  I*  have  received  as  much 
instruction  in  gardening  as  will  be  good  for  my 
shallow  intellects." 

As  soon  as  tea  was  over,  Mrs.  Onslow  rose, 
saying,  "You  are  not  to  mind  that  impertinent 
child,  Captain  Spencer,  but  come  now  and  see  all 
I  have  done.  The  fact  is,"  continued  she,  as  they 
walked  along,  "  Mary  has  had  only  the  sweets,  and 
I  the  labour  ;  for  to  form  a  garden  in  this  country, 
which  shall  be  all  you  wish,  requires  much  patience 
and  trouble.  Sometimes  the  insects  come  and  eat 
up  everything ;  then  an  overwhelming  flight  of 
birds  one  year  destroyed  all  my  grapes,*  for  I  in- 
clude the  vineyards  in  my  occupations.  I  was  the 
first  in  this  part  of  the  country  to  make  wine,  and 
now  it  forms  ah  important  article  of  exportation. 
Then  come  those  terrible  droughts,  which,  if  they 
do  not  kill,  make  everything  languish.  I  try,  by 
watering  as  much  as  possible,  to  counteract  them, 
but  this  takes  my  hands,  and  they  cannot  alway:: 
be  spared,  nor  can  I  ask  for  it  when  I  see  our  poor 
cattle  dying  for  want  of  this  life-giving  moisture, 
and  when  we  are  obliged  to  have  it  brought  froip 

*  Zosterops  dorsalis. 


432  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

great  distances  for  household  purposes.  My  littlo 
lake,  which  Mr.  Onslow  had  made  for  me,  in  con- 
sequence of  being  so  successful  with  the  vines,  is  a 
great  resource  for  them.  I  fill  my  garden-engine 
from  it ;  but  even  that  became  dry  in  a  drought 
which  lasted  three  years.  That  is  why  you  see 
such  large  plantations  of  maize  for  the  horses, 
pigs,  and  poultry,  as  wheat  will  not  grow  in  dry 
seasons.  Now  stop  and  look  at  my  two  Norfolk 
Island  Pines ;  did  you  ever  see  more  beautiful 
specimens  of  the  cone  tribe  ?  what  strength,  ma- 
jesty, and  symmetry  combined,  as  they  lessen  by 
degrees  towards  the  top,  where  that  tiny  cross 
aijrns  the  summit !  I  assure  you  I  am  very  proud 
cf  them."  "  I  have  often  stopped  to  admire  them," 
said  Captain  Spencer,  "  and  wondered  where  they 
came  from,  for  I  had  not  seen  any  in  the  country 
through  which  I  have  passed."  "No,  they  are 
a;,  brought  from  Norfolk  Island;  but,  as  you 
see,  this  place  suits  them  very  well.  I  have  en- 
deavoured here  to  get  round  me  whatever  is  good 
in  all  countries,  and  even  those  which  grow  in  the 
bush  ;  for  who  knows  but  that  cultivation  may 
make  many  plants  valuable  acquisitions?  For. 
instance,  here  is  a  fruit  called  the  Loquat;  you 
see  it  is  a  handsome  tree,  with  large,-  long  leaves, 
and  bears  clusters  of  white  fragrant  blossoms, 
which  turn  into  gokkn  gooseberries.  Mr.  Onslow 
^^ill  not  let  me  have  any  of  the  beautiful  Acacias 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  438 

of  Australia,  because  he  says  there  are  too  man^ 
in  the  bush,  and  they  are  the  torments  of  the 
settler.^'  lives  ;  but  I  have  the  Botany  Bay  Lily, 
and  the  splendid  Iris,  just  the  colour  of  ultrama^y 
line,  Then,  you  see,  I  have  Figs,  Bananas,  Gua- 
vas,  and  Oranges ;  but  my  Lemons  are  rather  a 
failure^  for  they  look  like  misshapen  Seville  Or- 
anges. The  Pomegranates  I  have  cultivated  for 
the  sake  of  their  bright  blossoms  ;  but  of  sM  things 
I  cherish  the  English  fruits  and  trees,  which  give 
me  a  feeling  of  home  whenever  I  look  at  them.  I 
tried  to  environ  myself  vsdth  the  forest-trees  of  the 
dear  old  land,  for  everything  here  grows  at  such 
an  enormous  rate,  that  even  my  life  might  be  long 
enough  to  enjoy  their  shade  ;  but  they  only  succeed 
on  the  hills,  and  Gooseberries  and  Currants  are 
only  to  be  reared  on  the  heights.  If  I  could,  I 
would  have  a  garden  at  one  of  our  out-stations, 
and  ride  over  to  it  once  a  week ;  but  Mr.  Onslow 
only  laughs  at  me.  Apples  and  Pears  will  not 
grow  in  these  fewer  districts  ;  but  in  the  south,  and 
in  Van  Diemen's  Land,  they  are  excellent :  they 
may  well  call  the  former  Australia  Felix,  for  every- 
thing flourishes  there.  At  supper  you  shall  taste 
my  Quandang  jam,  which  is  made  from  the  Fusa- 
nus*  fruit,  which  you  have  seen  in  the  bush.  I 
cultivated  this  Coral-tree,f  because  its  leaf  is  just 
like  a  human  hand,  and  its  two  bright  scarlet  peas 

*  Fusanus  acuminatus.  f  Erythrina  vespertilio. 

37 


434    AUSTRALIAN  WANDERERS. 

are  so  beautiful  in  their  pods.  I  smuggled  In  some 
of  the  Jasmines  for  the  sake  of  their  fragrance,  as 
well  as  those  bushes  Avhich  remind  me  of  Mint,* 
and  Thyme,t  and  the  broom-like  plant,|  from  the 
bush.  Look  at  my  large  white  Datura;  I  am 
obliged  to  have  it  far  from  the  house,  its  odour  is 
so  strong.  I  have  a  fine  Orchis,  with  a  bright-blue 
floAver,  and  gold  and  black  inside,  which  I  have 
had  great  difficulty  in  rearing;  but  it  is  not  in 
blossom  now.  You  can  see  my  beautiful  Nelum- 
bium,  with  its  large  leaf,  and  its  stalk  eight  feet 
out  of  the  water.  Its  tuber  looks  as  if  it  were 
good  to  eat."  "  That  and  its  seed  are  both  edible," 
said  Captain  Spencer  :  "  I  tried  it  in  the  west,  and 
you  may  make  use  of  almost  all  tubers  by  boiling 
them  in  two  waters,  which  washes  out  all  the  acrid 
properties." 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,"  continued  Mrs.  Onslow, 
"  I  have  a  little  secret  in  that  corner.  I  am  try- 
ing what  can  be  made  of  that  which  they  here  call 
the  Cotton-tree  ;§  and,  if  it  should  answer,  I  have 
a  project  for  spinning  the  cotton  on  our  own  es- 
tate." "You  must  get  St.  Jolsn  to  bring  you  the 
seeds  of  the  Sturtia  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
Adelaide,"  said  Captain  Spencer;  "they  say  it 
affords  very  good  raw  material."  "  Thank  you  for 
telling  me,"  resumed  Mrs.  Onslow  ;  "  I  will  cer- 

*  Stenochilus.  t  Prostanthera  odoratissima. 

X  Jacksonia.  f  Cochlospermum  gossypium. 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  485 

tainly  try  it.  I  have  vast  plans  in  my  kead,"  she 
continued,  her  bright  eyes  kindling  Avith  enthusi- 
asm, and  we  have  surmounted  so  many  obstacles, 
and  done  so  much  already,  and  in  this  country  the 
spirits  are  so  elastic,  the  energies  so  strengthened, 
and  nature  so  vigorously  responds  to  our  endeav- 
ours, that  I  seem  to  live  two  lives  in  one.  I  have 
visions  of  a  native  school,  in  which  not  only  book- 
instruction  shall  be  given,  but  other  things  taught, 
such  as  carding  and  spinning;  and  who  knows  but 
weaving  and  bleaching  may  be  accomplished  ?  But, 
first  of  all,  we  must  have  a  church,"  Captain 
Spencer  smiled,  and  said,  "  From  what  I  have  seen 
of  the  natives,  I  think  no  sedentary  employment 
will  suit  them  ;  and  it  will  take  two  or  three  gene- 
rations of  taming  to  fit  them  for  such  purposes. 
To  me  their  wildness  seems  to  be  unconquerable, 
and  I  even  look  forward  to  Kinchela's  straying  oc- 
casionally ;  my  best  security  in  India  will  be  the 
wild  beasts,  of  which  he  will  be  horribly  afraid." 

"Look,  Captain  Spencer," again  continued  Mrs. 
Onslow,  "  I  have  your  Bamboo  from  India ;  Mr. 
Onslow  has  condescended  to  approve  of  this  impor- 
tation, and  has  even  made  a  plantation  of  it  for 
himself,  because  it  is  so  good  for  fences.  Here  is 
a  native  plant*  which  will  please  you ;  it  has  pods 
just  like  Chili  peppers."  "  And  much  more  aro- 
matic," said  Captain  Spencer,  tasting  them,    "  Here 

*  Hoemodorum. 


436  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

comes  Mary  to  call  us  in,"  cried  the  mamma.  "  I 
hope  I  have  not  teased  you  too  much."  "  On  the 
contrary,"  answered  Captain  Spencer,  "  I  have 
been  much  interested,  and  I  shall  use  my  best  en- 
deavours, when  I  return  to  India,  to  procure  as  many 
plants  and  seeds  as  I  can  for  you.''  "  Oh,  thank 
you,  Captain  Spencer  ;  that  is  the  only  thing  which 
can  reconcile  me  to  your  going,  and  for  which 
promise  I  now  give  you  an  English  rose,  one  of  the 
dear  roses  which  I  brought  from  Wimbledon ;  I 
look  at  them  every  day,  and  think  of  my  dear 
friends  there,  and  the  most  beautiful  garden  in  the 
world  ;  and  only  my  especial  favourites  are  allowed 
to  have  any  of  the  blossoms." 

"I  am  come  to  the  rescue,"  exclaimed  Miss  On- 
slow, as  she  approached  ;  "  my  mamma  will  teach 
you  horticulture,  papa  agriculture,  and  George  and 
Frederic  will  complete  your  education  by  talking 
to  you  forever  about  wild  cattle."  "  And  you, 
Miss  Onslow,"  whispered  the  officer,  "  will  perhaps 
favour  me  with  the  last  polish,  by  remarks  on 
Overlanders."  Miss  Mary's  deep  blush,  and  hasty 
exclamation  of  "  Here  come  the  boys  !"  succeeded 
by  a  hasty  flight,  showed  not  only  the  keenness, 
but  the  truth  of  the  soldier's  penetration. 

"Well,  Spencer,"  said  George  Onslow,  "we  start 
HI  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  I  have  ordered  a 
good  feed  of  corn  to  be  given  to  Tiger.  Kinchela 
wants  to  £0  :  but  as  he  cannot  ride,  neither  he  nor 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.         437 

Gip  can  go  with  u-."  "Certainly  not;  I  leave 
them  both  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Onslow."  "You 
must  not  take  one  of  your  awkward  tin  cans,"  con- 
tinued the  young  man  ;  "  we  shall  equip  you  like 
one  of  ourselves,  with  a  tin  pot,  some  damper  and 
corned  beef,  flint  and  steel  in  your  pocket,  your 
rifle  at  your  back,  and  your  pistols  in  your  belt. 
We  will  allow  you  to  wear  your  grass  hat ;  for  that 
cap  and  gold  band  are  really  too  dashing  ;  but 
take  your  opossum-cloak.  We  sup  early,  that  we 
may  go  to  bed  and  have  a  good  sleep  before  start- 
ing. We  shall  breakfast  at  the  inn  close  by  the 
creek  through  which  we  go." 

Tiger  was  in  high  spirits,  full  of  corn  and  ani- 
mation after  his  long  rest ;  poor  Gip  had  been  car- 
ried to  Mrs.  Onslow's  bed-room,  and  Charlie  was 
left  perched  upon  a  rack  in  the  stable.  Kinchela 
looked  very  disconsolate ;  but  Captain  Spencer 
raised  his  importance  by  telling  him  he  must  take 
care  of  all  his  things  while  he  was  away,  and  this 
was  some  consolation.  After  riding  a  few  hours, 
the  party  came  to  the  inn,  which  even  at  that  early 
hour  was  a  scene  of  intoxication;  and  the  drunken 
swearing  of  the  master,  on  being  awoke,  promised 
badly  for  the  ensuing  breakfast.  The  inn  itself 
was  a  pretty  little  building,  Avith  a  garden,  flowers, 
and  good  accommodations ;  but  within  all  was  dis- 
order ;  black  and  white  men  were  lying  on  the 
floor,  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  the  night's  excess; 
37* 


438         AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

the  pvettj  joung  mistress  herself  coming  to  the 
gentlemen  guests  with  a  stupid  look,  and  evident 
signs  of  not  having  been  undressed  all  night 
''  What  a  dread.. I.  piciure  !"  said  Captain  Spen- 
cer ;  "  surely  no  colonies  can  prosper  where  this 
frequently  occurs."  "It  is  the  curse  of  many  new 
colonies,"  observed  George  Onslow  ;  "  the  income 
of  a  wayside  inn  is  chiefly  derived  from  cattle- 
keepers,  half-reclaimed  convicts,  idle  emigrants, 
and  people  of  a  loose  description,  who  lead  the 
master  of  the  establishment  into  temptation ;  he 
leads  his  wife  ;  and  you  know  how  soon  such  habits 
are  formed.  My  men,  however,  know  how  to  man- 
age, and  I  see  they  are  lighting  a  fire  to  cook  ba- 
con and  eggs  for  us,  the  staple  commodities  of  such 
places.  There  is  a  milk  cow  in  the  yard,  can  you 
draw  it  ?"  "No,"  answered  the  soldier  ;  "  I  never 
tried."  "1  can,"  said  Frederic,  "if  we  could  but 
get  a  clean  jug  or  basin  into  which  we  could  put 
the  milk."  "I  will  take  charge  of  the  horses,  for 
both  your  stock-keepers  are  busy."  So  saying, 
Captain  Spencer  led  them  to  a  shed,  where  he 
gave  them  hay  and  water.  Frederic  met  him  on 
his  return  with  a  wash-hand  basin  full  of  milk. 
"This  is  the  only  thing  which  I  could  find,"  said 
he,  "  which  did  not  smell  of  beer  or  gin ;  and  in 
getting  it  I  awoke  a  servant-girl,  more  drunk  than 
her  mistress,  and  quite  insensible  to  some  of  those 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  439 

pests  which  are  falsely  distinguished  as  belonging 
peculiarly  to  London." 

The  breakfast  being  finished,  and  a  provision  of 
hard  eggs  and  bacon  secured  for  the  next  meal, 
one  of  the  stock-keepers  thrust  the  money  for  their 
entertainment  into  the  pocket  of  the  querulous 
host,  and  proceeded  up  the  creek.  "  Do  you  call 
this  a  creek?"  said  the  stranger.  "To  be  sure," 
was  the  reply  ;  "  have  you  been  so  long  in  this 
country,  and  not  know  that  a  creek  means  either 
a  dry  water-course,  such  as  has  not  held  water 
during  the  memory  of  man,  or  an  open  space  in 
the  forest,  with  or  without  water  ?  We  have 
many  incongruous  terms ;  such  as  going  down  the 
country,  for  going  to  the  capital."  "Then  the 
interior  of  this  country  is  full  of  creeks  of  the  for- 
mer description,"  said  Captain  Spencer ;  "  but  I 
suspect  some  mighty  torrents  of  water  have  at 
some  period  or  other  rushed  through  them."  "  And 
perhaps  may  again,"  observed  George  Onslow; 
"  the  rains  of  Australia  run  oif  at  once,  as  if  they 
never  sank  into  the  soil ;  and  I  have-  seen  creeks 
suddenly  flooded  in  the  most  terrific  manner." 

Early  in  the  evening  the  part}?-  arrived'  at  the 
dwelling  of  Mr.  Onslow's  principal  stock-keeper, 
from  whom  they  had  received  the  request  to  come 
and  help  in  the  regaining  of  the  stray  cattle, 
"  Do  they  often  go  away,  Mr.  Gi  aham  ?"  said  Cap- 
tain Spencer  to  the  intelligent-looking  man  before 


440         AUSTRALIAN     WAND.ERERS. 

him.  "Yes,  sir,  often,"  was  the  reply:  "these 
have  been  tempted  by  -beasts  which  are  half  wild, 
of  which  there  are  vast  herds  in  the  interior ;  if 
not,'  they  would  have  returned,  for  they  are  always 
inclined  to  come  back  to  their  pastures,  as  we  know 
when  we  want  to  move  them  ;  and  even  when  they 
have  been  driven  by  a  circuitous  route,  they  will 
reach  the  old  places  by  a  straight  direction.  For 
some  reason  which  we  do  not  know  they  often 
separate  into  distinct  herds,  and  always  remain 
divided  after  that."  "But  do  not  the  natives 
attack  them?"  "No,  sir,  they  are  too  frightened 
at  them  ;  and  I  have  seen  a  whole  tribe  clamber 
into  the  ta-ees  at  their  approach." 

Supper  was  eaten,  and  soon  after  midnight  the 
cattle-seekers  started,  with  the  addition  of  Mr. 
Graham  and  one  of  his  men  ;  the  former  observed 
that  Captain  Spencer  ought  to  be  warned  of  the 
danger  incurred  in  hunting  bulls.  "They  are 
very  dangerous,  sir,"  he  said  ;  "  and  you  must  be 
able  to  turn  your  horse  round  as  sharp  as  if  he 
were  on  a  cabbage-leaf."  They  proceeded  through 
an  open  forest,  at  the  termination  of  which  the 
brightiijess  of  the  moon  enabled  them  to  see  the 
tracks  of  the  cattle.  "  The  black  fellows  told  me 
I  should  find  them  by  this  path,"  said  Graham ; 
"  but  let  us  see  which  way  the  wind  is,  because  we 
must  go  against  that,  or  they  will  smell  us  out, 
they  are  so  acute  in  this  particular.     They  are 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.        441 

somewhere  up  in  these  ridges,  1  am  pretty  sure. 
I  will  go  and  reconnoitre."  Dismounting,  and 
giving  his  horse  to  his  man  to  hold,  the  stock- 
keeper  crept  stealthily  up  the  hills,  and  when  he 
arrived  near  the  summit,  he  went  upon  hands  and 
knees  and  peeped  over.  Then  returning,  said : 
"  There  they  are,  on  the  other  side,  as  friendly  as 
possible  with  the  wild  ones ;  and  there  are  two  big 
bulls  among  them  which  seem  to  be  the  leaders, 
the  one  black,  and  the  other  red."  "I,  Captain 
Spencer,  and  you,  will  take  the  red  bull,"  said 
George  Onslow,  "  and  Fred  and  the  men  shall  have 
the  other ;  we  will  divide  into  two  parties,  single 
out  these  two,  and  sacrifice  them."  "That  is 
right,  sir ;  but  you  had  better  take  a  mouthful 
before  you  begin,  and  let  the  horses  also  take  a 
slight  bait  and  rest,  for  we  shall  want  all  their 
strength  and  courage."  This  being  done,  the  two 
divisions  took  their  way  without  speaking ;  the 
fiery  steeds  of  the  young  men  were  with  difficulty 
restrained,  for  they  knew  what  was  coming,  and 
panted  to  be  ofi";  even  Tiger  began  to  fret;  but 
his  master's  hand  and  voice,  saying,  "  We  must  go 
very  gently,  good  horse,"  quieted  him  immediately  ; 
and  his  pretty  slender  legs  seemed  almost  to  skim 
the  turf,  and  make  neither  sound  nor  impression 
"I  could  let  that  horse  walk  right  over  me,"  said 
Graham,  looking  at  the  Arab  with  great  admi- 
isiation. 


(142  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

They  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge,  and  had 
crept  partly  down  the  other  side,  when  one  of  the 
bullocks  snuffed  the  air,  gave  a  mighty  bellow,  and 
rushed  across  the  level  ground  at  full  speed ;  the 
other  bull  answered  him,  and  the  two  herds  gal- 
loped on,  the  sportsmen  after  them  at  their  utmost 
speed ;  and,  dashing  in  among  the  cattle,  they 
jSred  at  the  leaders.  Captain  Spencer,  who  knew 
the  sensitiveness  of  sportsmen,  especially  when 
young,  had  not  fired,  but  kept  his  eyes  steadily 
fixed  on  the  object  he  had  to  pursue.  The  black 
bull  turned  upon  his  pui'suers,  but  they  were  so 
scattered  that  he  was  uncertain  which  to  choose; 
and  being  inexperienced,  he  became  bewildered, 
and  knew  not  at  which  to  take  his  aim ;  he  there- 
fore attacked  them  all  in  their  turns,  and  caused 
them  to  perform  marvellous  feats  of  horseman- 
ship ;  they  fired  repeatedly,  but  not  being  mortally 
wounded,  he  kept  them  long  in  suspense ;  and  at 
last  fell  upon  the  ground,  faint  from  loss  of  blood, 
where  he  was  soon  despatched.  Not  so  the  red 
bull :  Mr.  George  Onslow  and  Graham  both  fired, 
but  missed  the  mortal  part,  which  is  just  behind 
the  shoulder  ;  Graham  and  his  horse  were  over- 
thrown, and  would  have  been  gored  to  deatli,  had 
not  Ml-.  Onslow  presented  himself  as  a  new  object 
for  the  bull's  fury  ;  but  the  well-tried  horse  turned 
away  as  he  rushed  at  him,  and  bis  horns  went 
Uirough  empty  air ;  then  he  caught  sight  of  Cap 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  443 

tain  Spencer,  who  remained  perfectly  still  to 
receive  the  attack  ;  "  Stand,  good  horse,"  he  said, 
"and  trust  your  master."  The  noble  steed  re- 
mained motionless;  but  his  flashing  eyes,  erect 
ears,  and  raised  tail  showed  a  consciousness  of  his 
danger.  The  bull  came  on,  but  when  two  yards 
distant  a  pistol-ball  went  into  his  forehead  just  be- 
tween his  eyes ;  he  staggered,  and  fell  dead. 

"  That's  the  finest  thing  lever  saw,"  said  George 
Onslow  in  the  enthusiasm  of  the  moment,  shaking 
his  friend  warmly  by  the  hand.  "You  forget," 
said  that  friend,  laughing,  "  that  I  am  a  soldier, 
and  a  hunter  of  wild  beasts.  Now  let  us  go  to 
poor  Graham."  But  Graham  and  his  horse  had 
risen,  the  latter  a  little  strained,  and  he  somewhat 
bruised ;  but  they  all  assisted  in  collecting  the 
herd,  and  drove  them  back  in  triumph  to  the  stock- 
keeper's  yard,  where  they  were  secured  ;  the  wild, 
no  longer  having  a  leader,  going  with  the  rest." 
"  You  must  find  the  owners  for  these,"  said  Mr. 
George  Onslow  to  the  keeper.  "  As  soon  as  pos- 
sible, sir,  for  they  will  be  very  troublesome  among 
ray  poor  beasts."  "I  think,  sir,"  continued  Gra- 
ham, turning  to  Captain  Spencer,  "now  I  hear 
your  name,  I  have  a  message  for  you  from  Rich- 
ardson, the  overseer,  which  has  come  throuo-h 
several  stations,  and  reached  me  the  day  before 
yesterday.     We  shall  find  it  at  my  house." 


il'l  AUSTRALIAN     W  A  N  I-  i:  K  E  R  S  . 

On  arriving  at  the  station,  Captain  Spencer  re« 
ceived  the  following : — 

"  Honoured  Sir, — My  wife  and  I  hope  you 
have  got  safe  to  Mr.  Onslow's,  and  pray  for  a  con- 
tinuance of  the  same.  This  is  to  let  you  know 
that  we  have  had  another  visit  from  Harry  Blunt, 
who  was  very  civil,  but  having,  as  usual,  surprised 
us,  was  going  to  lay  his  hands  on  whatever  he 
could  carry  away,  and  openiog  the  drawer  of  my 
wife's  table,  he  was  about  to  pocket  the  gold  coins 
you  were  so  good  as  to  give  to  the  children.  My 
wife  then  burst  out  a  crying,  and  pleaded  so  hard 
he  would  leave  them,  that  he  asked  her  why  she 
was  so  fond  of  them  ;  she  told  him  it  was  because 
a  very  good  gentleman,  a  captain,  who  had  been 
all  over  xlustralia,  had  given  them  as  keepsakes  to 
the  boys.  On  hearing  this  be  turned  very  red, 
and  left  the  house  without  taking  anything  :  say- 
ing, as  he  went  away,  '  For  the  sake  of  the  only 
man  who  has  shown  me  kindness  for  many  a  long 
year,  I  will  never  touch  anything  which  belongs  to 
his  friends.'  In  a  few  days  our  two  horses  came 
back,  each  with  a  piece  of  leather  tied  round  its 
neck,  on  which  w^as  written,  '  Returned  for  Cap- 
tain Spencer's  sake,'  and  really  they  are  not  in 
bad  condition.  Since  then  I  hear  that  Harry  has 
been  caught ;  and  if  you  should  see  anything  of 
him,  perhaps  you  might  do  him  some  service,  for  1 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  445 

do  think  there  is  some  good  in  him  at  bottom 
Sally  and  the  boys  send  their  duty  to  you,  sir,  and 
desire  me  to  say  they  never  forget  you, 

"  I  am  your  dutiful  and  obliged  servant  to  com- 
mand, James  Richardson." 

"Poor  Harry  !"  said  Captain  Spencer,  "I  should 
be  very  glad  if  I  could  be  of  any  service  to  you." 

The  party  returned  joyfully  to  Onslow  ra;rm ; 
the  young  men  loud  in  the  praises  of  their  new 
friend  and  his  horse.  I  do  not  know  which  to  ad- 
mire most,"  said  George  Onslow,  "  the  firm  cour- 
age of  the  rider,  or  the  entire  obedience  of,  his 
steed."  "  Make  allowances  for  military  education 
and  Arab  origin,"  said  Captain  Spencer.  "And 
now,  my  friends,  I  must  reluctantly  think  of  my 
departure  ;  I  ought  not  to  stay  longer."  The  ne- 
cessity was  unwillingly  admitted,  and  Mr.  Onslow 
said  he  should  be  ready  in  a  few  days ;  that  the 
drays  should  be  packed  and  started,  and  then  he 
would  set  off  on  horseback  ;  Kinchcla  might  go 
with  the  drays.  "  Agreed,"  said  Captain  Spencer  ; 
"my  tin  cans  shall  be  made  over  to  your  garden, 
Mrs.  Onslow ;  I  can  roll  my  grass  hat  in  my  opos- 
sum-cloaks, and  fasten  them  upon  my  saddle." 
"Ay,  preserve  that  as  a  trophy,"  was  the  general 
cry.  "  I  will  take  your  tin  cans  under  my  especial 
care,"  said  Mrs.  Onslow.  "  Charlie  can  fly  with 
lis,  and  Gip  will  ride  inside  my  coat,"  continued 
38 


446  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

the  soldier  ;  "so  all  is  well  arranged."  Kincbcla, 
however,  when  he  heard  that  he  was  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  his  master,  was  in  such  an  agony  of 
distress,  that  Captain  Spencer  was  extremely  puz- 
zled what  to  do  with  him.  One  of  the  men  about 
the  farm,  hearing  of  this,  respectfully  accosted  the 
officer  as  he  stood  thoughtfully  near  the  stable, 
and  said,  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  Kinchela 
has  been  learning  to  ride  while  you  have  been 
away,  and  if  master  would  lend  him  a  horse,  he 
might  go  along  with  you ;  he  was  so  sorry  when 
you  went  to  hunt  the  cattle  alone,  that  he  begged 
to  be  taught,  and  we  all  like  him  so  much,  that  we 
took  pains  with  him,  and  he  can  sit  his  horse  very 
well."  "Then  all  difficulties  are  smoothed,"  said 
Mr.  Onslow,  "for  he  can  have  one  of  my  horses. 
Come,  Spencer,  and  take  a  quiet  walk  with  me 
round  the  new  plantation  for  the  last  time." 

"  There  are  some  great  drawbacks  to  living  in 
this  country,"  said  Mr.  Onslow  ;  "  the  young  are 
apt  to  think  that  everything  must  prosper,  and  get 
too  confident ;  and  as  yet  we  have  so  few  places  of 
worship ;  the  latter  will,  I  hope,  be  remedied  now 
we  have  bishops ;  the  former  I  dare  not  hope  will 
be  checked  by  adversity.  We  have  just  passed 
through  a  season  of  suffering,  which  has  nearly 
overwhelmed  us,  and  I  hope  we  shall  profit  by  the 
lesson,  and  go  steadily  on  ;  but  even  that  steadi- 
ness is  at  such  an  enormous  rate  of  progress,  that 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERrf.  447 

it  would  secin  almost  frightful  in  the  Old  World, 
I  suppose  the  western  part  will  be  peopled  from 
Swan  River." 

"  Have  you  any  convicts  employed  about  you  ?" 
asked  Captain  Spencer.  "  Certainly,  more  than 
half  my  men  were  transported  from  England ; 
some  are  perfectly  reformed,  and  not  only  make 
excellent  servants,  but  excellent  characters ;  while 
others  require  to  be  watched.  I  do  not  know  what 
we  should  have  done  without  convicts,  as  so  many 
of  the  emigrants  come  out  with  the  notion  that 
they  are  to  be  their  own  masters,  or  that  they  are 
to  be  well  paid  for  doing  less  than  in  Great  Bri- 
tain ;  whereas  every  one  in  a  new  colony  must 
work  hard."  "Which  are  the  best  emigrants?" 
asked  Captain  Spencer.  "  The  Gr-ermans  are  ad- 
mirable ;  but  I  think  Scotch  and  English  are  the 
best ;  the  Irish  are  idle.  It  is  a  curious  fact,  that 
the  Scotch  are  the  worst  of  all  convicts  ;  I  sup- 
pose, arising  from  the  circumstance  that  they  are 
never  transported  except  for  some  very  serious 
crime." 

"I  presume,"  continued  Mr.  Onslow,  "  that  you 
possess  a  knowledge  of  all  the  natural  resources  of 
the  country."  "  Not  its  mineral  riches,"  replied 
Captain  Spencer ;  "  except  the  prominent  fea- 
tures." "We  have  almost  all,"  returned  Mr.  On- 
slow ;  "  our  coal  is  excellent,  and  one  of  the  most 
valuable  of  our  possessions.     St.  John  told  you  of 


448  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

all  that  has  lately  been  found  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Adelaide  ;  and  the  enlightened  Count  Strzelecki 
has  given  a  learned  account  of  what  is  to  be  met 
within  New  South  Wales."  "I  am  very  much 
puzzled,"  interrupted  Captain  Spencer,  "  by  the 
names  given  to  the  trees,  which  appear  to  me  to  be 
rather  fanciful."  "  We  delight  in  giving  English 
names  from  real  or  fancied  resemblances  ;  that  for 
the  Casuarina  is  the  She  Oak ;  the  Stringy  Bark, 
whicli  grows  chiefly  on  the  tops  of  hilly  ranges  ;  the 
Blue  Gum,  which  is  of  immense  size,  has  large,  white, 
gnarled  branches,  and  whose  bark  breaks  off  in  an- 
gular pieces ;  the  Iron  Bark,  the  Balm-tree,  which 
abounds  most  in  sandy  creeks,  the  Thyme,  the  Bed 
Gum,  the  Dwarf  Gum,  the  Box-tree,  the  Mahogany 
tree,  which  springs  up  to  a  height  of  forty  or  fifty 
feet,  or  even  more,  without  a  bend  or  a  branch, 
are  all  Eucalypti ;  and  then  the  Rose-wood,  the 
Raspberry-jam,  which  smells  like  that  preserve, 
the  Violet-wood,  which  yields  just  such  a  perfume 
as  that  flower  does,  the  Myall,  of  which  the  cattle 
are  so  fond,  the  Malga,  with  its  hard  wood,  are  all 
Acacias,  of  which  there  are  at  least  tAvo  hundred 
sorts,  all  useful  for  their  wood,  their  gum,  and  their 
bark,  which  is  excellent  for  tanning ;  and  the  two 
latter  substances  form  articles  of  export.  Besides 
these^.  we  have,  as  you  know,  the  Callitris  Pine, 
with  its  yellow,  compact  wood  ;  the  Bidwelliand 
Pine,  with  its   invaluable  straight  trunk ;  and  ike 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  449 

Cypress,  which  smells  like  a  Cedar,  with  a  red  and 
white  wood."  "  It  strikes  me,"  observed  Captain 
Spencer,  "  that  some  of  the  grasses  would  be  highly 
useful."  "  I  am  quite  of  your  opinion,  and  I  think 
their  excellence  often  makes  our  cattle  stray  ;  but 
we  all  of  us  try  to  imitate  the  mother  country,  an'' 
have  a  sort  of  prejudice  towards  new  productions.' 
"  If  I  mistake  not,"  further  observed  Captain  Spen- 
cer, "there  is  also  a  very  good  native  Tobacco, 
with  white  blossoms  and  smooth  leaves  ;  and  it  ap- 
pears to  me  that  your  vegetable  resources  are  either 
not  sufficiently  known,  or  that  you  do  not  suffi- 
ciently turn  them  to  your  advantage."  "  I  per- 
fectly agree  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Onslow;  "but 
newly-established  farmers  cannot  try  experiments  ; 
and  when  they  know  that,  if  a  fair  quantity  of 
rain  comes,  they  procure  twenty-five  bushels  of 
wheat  from  an  acre,  and  sometimes  more  than 
forty,  and  even  heavier  crops  of  barley,  in  a  light, 
sandy  soil,  you  cannot  wonder,  at  the  preference 
in  their  favour.  It  is  a  curious  circumstance  that 
certain  English  plants  spring  up  spontaneously 
wherever  we  turn  our  English  cattle  to  graze ;  for 
instance,  the  Horehound  and  the  Couch,  or  Dog's- 
tooth  grass.  But  what  is  the  cause  of  that  com- 
motion in  the  Horse-yard  ?  let  us  go  and  see. 
"What  is  the  matter.  Brown?"  asked  Mr.  Onslow 
of  the  nearest  man.  "  One  of  the  mares  has 
killed  her  foal,  sir ;  she  always  was  viciouSv' 
38* 


450  AUSTRALIAN      AV  A  N  D  E  R  E  R  S  . 

"  These  unaccountable  things  happen  every  now 
and  then  ;  sometimes  to  such  an  extent,"  said  Mr. 
Onslow,  "  that  all  the  foals  of  a  herd  will  be  de- 
stroyed. You  say  you  met  with  herds  of  wild 
horses,  and  they  "^re  those  we  have  lost ;  they 
treated  Tiger  civilly ;  but  very  often  they  Avill  not 
let  a  strange  horse  come  near  them ;  our  saddle- 
horses  are  trained  so  as  to  graze  within  two  or 
three  miles  of  the  farm  ;  hut  in  several  instances 
the  wild  herds  have  forced  them  away." 

As  Mr,  Onslow  and  Captain  Spencer  entered 
the  inner  gate,  Frederick  Onslow  ran  to  meet  them 
with  a  pair  of  tongs,  between  Avhich  a  small,  dark 
object  had  been  nipped,  and  was  partly  hanging 
out.  "  We  have  found  a  whole  nest  of  Triante- 
lopes,  father,"  said  he,  laughing,  "behind  my 
grandfather's  picture ;  and  I  came  to  present  the 
venerable  patriarch  of  the  family  to  Captain  Spen- 
cer ;  he  will  probably  find  it  an  interesting  ac- 
quaintance." "  What  a  mercy  you  have  found 
them !"  said  Mr.  Onslow.  "  I  saw  something 
dark,"  continued  Frederick,  ''suddenly  emerge 
from  behind  the  frame,  and  on  inspection  found 
the  colony :  George  and  I  demolished  them  all ; 
my  mother  and  Mary  ran  away."  "Perhaps  you 
have  seen  them  already,"  said  Mr.  Onslow,  turning 
to  Captain  Spencer,  "for  they  constantly  live 
between  the  bark  and  wood  of  old  trees."  "No," 
was  the  reply,  "  I  never  have ;  but  your  coloniaJ 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  451 

Dame  is  very  extraordinary."  "  Yes,  but  if  you 
were  to  talk  to  the  farm-servants  of  a  Tarantula 
they  would  not  understand  you."  "Are  their 
bites  fatal  ?"  "  No,  though  very  severe  ;  and  their 
web  is  so  strong  that  you  can  scarcely  break  it." 
"Your dogs," continued  Captain  Spencer,  "brought 
in  a  little  animal  this  morning,  gray  in  colour,  with 
white  spots,  and  having  a  thin,  wiry  tail,  which  I 
have  seen,  but  Gip  has  never  caught  it."  "  Oh, 
you  mean  the  native  Cat,*  Avhich  comes  and  eats 
our  fowls  and  even  turkeys  ;  it  is  a  pretty  creature, 
but  very  vicious;  and  it  often  masters  the  dogs." 
"  One  more  question  on  natural  history  and  I  have 
done.  What  is  the  reason  I  have  never  met  with 
the  Lyre-tail  Birds  ?"  "  Because  they  belong  more 
properly  to  the  south-eastern  portion  of  this  conti- 
nent, where  the  Spiny  Anteaterf  also  most 
abounds,  though  occasionally  found  near  the  Dar- 
ling. We  have  had  both,  but  the  latter  disap- 
peared, and  is  perhaps  in  the  lake  at  this  moment ; 
and  the  former  died." 

The  night  after  the  above  conversation  was  to 
be  the  last  which  the  traveller  was  to  spend  among 
his  kind  friends ;  and,  as  he  lay  awake,  thinking 
with  regret  of  the  approaching  separation,  he 
heard  a  most  tremendous  noise  ;  he  started  up  and 
listened,  and  it  occurred  again,  sounding  as  if  it 
were  an  attempt  to  break  open  a  door ;  he  hastily 

*  Dasyurus.  f  Echidna. 


452         AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

threw  on  his  clothes,  and  George  Onslow  burst 
into  the  room,  saying,  "  I  see  you  have  heard 
them,  Spencer ;  it  is  either  a  company  of  bush- 
rangers or  a  body  of  natives  trying  to  break  in ; 
they  must  have  come  over  the  hills  at  the  back. 
I  cannot  understand  why  the  dogs  have  not  given 
tongue."  "  Gipsy  has,"  said  her  master.  "  Take 
your  pistols,  and  come  with  me,"  continued  George ; 
"  it  is  in  the  new  part  of  the  house."  The  friends 
issued  from  the  door,  and  at  the  head  of  the  stairs 
met  Mr.  Onslow,  half  dressed,  with  a  sword  and  a 
light.  "  Put  out  the  light,"  said  Captain  Spencer, 
"  and  let  me  come  first."  "  Certainly  not,"  cried 
Mr.  Onslow,  and  pushed  past  him  ;  in  doing  which 
Captain  Spenrer  blew  out  the  candle,  thereby 
obscuring  some  whit^e  forms,  which  had  anxiously 
but  partly  issued  from  their  doors.  Frederick 
Onslow  now  joined  them ;  and  as  he  did  so  they 
heard  a  parley.  "  Go  back,  Mary  !  Mother,  you 
have  no  business  here."  "  Can't  we  help  you  load 
the  pistols  ?"  "  No,  we  are  quite  sufficient  to  keep 
them  at  bay,  till  we  can,  by  our  firing,  alarm  the 
men  about  the  premises."  Another  thump,  louder 
than  ever,  threatened  to  burst  the  door  open, 
which  was  near  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  "  Let  us 
stand  here,"  said  George  Onslow,  "and  we  shall 
catch  them  as  they  enter."  At  last  the  door  wag 
burst  open,  and  a  flood  of  moonlight  streamed  in. 
Mr.  Onslow  made  a  furious  lunge,  and  fell ;  for  an 


AUSTKALIAN    WANDERERS.  45S 

f.istant  only  there  was  silence,  but  then  a  wild 
scream  of  laughter  burst  from  the  young  men. 
Captain  Spencer  looked  around  him  for  the  expla- 
nation, when  something  rolled  against  his  legs,  and 
made  Gip  hop  away.  "  Oh,  my  mother's  pump- 
kins !"  at  last  said  the  young  men;  the  laughter 
was  renewed.  But  Mary,  who  had  followed,  cried, 
"  Pick  up  my  father ;  perhaps  he  is  hurt."  "Hurt!" 
said  Mr.  Onslow,  "  I  can't  move  for  laughter.  0 
Ellen  !  Ellen  !  your  horticultural  propensities  will 
be  the  death  of  me."  A  rustling  noise,  and  the 
shutting  of  a  door,  told  that  the  innocent  cause  of 
the  alarm  had  made  her  escape  from  the  taunts 
which  she  knew  were  coming.  She  had  made  a 
stack  of  pumpkins  in  one  of  the  new  and  unoccu- 
■pied  rooms;  something  had  disturbed  their  equili- 
brium, and  they  had  given  way.  Such  was  the 
explanation  of  the  mystery ;  but  there  was  no 
more  sleep  that  night ;  the  young  men  sat  up  to 
talk ;  but  a  loud  laugh  burst  forth  whenever  the 
adventure  was  thought  of,  especially  the  appear- 
ance of  Mr.  Onslow,  his  fierce  plunge,  and  his  roll 
among  the  enemy.  He  went  back  to  his  bed ;  but 
his  wife  had  taken  refuge  in  that  of  Mary,  where 
she  buried  her  head  in  the  pillow,  to  avoid  hearing 
the  reiterated  bursts  of  her  sons.  It  was  with 
difficulty  that  Captain  Spencer  assumed  a  serious 
countenance  when  she  came  to  the  early  breakfast 
the  next  morning.     "  I  could  not  lot  vou  go,"  said 


•154  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERKRS. 

Hhe  ^ady,  "  without  taking  farewell,  or  else  I  would 
not  lia.ve  appeared  this  morning.  I  am  more  sorry 
than  I  can  express  to  lose  you  ;  but  I  never  before 
saw  Mr.  Onslow  go  away  and  felt  so  much  plea- 
sure at  his  departure ;  I  do  not  mind  Mary  and 
the  boys,  but  he  really  is  too  unbearable."  "  I  do 
assure  you,"  said  Captain  Spencer,  "  that  if  I  were 
not  so  sad  at  parting  with  you  I  should  be  as  voci- 
ferous in  my  merriment  as  they  are  ;  so  it  is  well 
that  I  am  going." 

The  tra  7cllers  departed  with  sadness  and  sorrow 
at  their  hearts,  for  affection  had  been  cemented 
between  all  parties  by  circumstances,  which  had 
played  the  part  of  time,  and  they  were  old  friends 
in  heart,  though  not  in  days.  The  soldier's  duty 
never  seemed  so  hard  as  at  that  moment,  and  he 
was  almost  tempted  to  make  a  promise  to  return ; 
but  he  found  sufficient  firmness  to  forbear.  It  was 
some  time,  however,  before  he  could  be  amused,  as 
Mr.  Onslow  was,  with  the  pride  of  Kinchela,  who, 
equipped  in  trousers  and  shoes,  given  him  by  his 
friends  at  the  farm,  had  issued  from  the  gate  in 
the  midst  of  a  loud  "  Hurrah !"  which  Charlie 
echoed,  laughing  with  all  his  might,  bawling  out 
the  names  of  all  the  family,  "  George,  Mary,"  &c. 
The  servants  loudly  applauded  him ;  nor  could 
those  who  were  sad  refrain,  when  he  flew  round 
and  round  in  token  of  farewell,  and  as  his  last 
salute  screaming  "Pumpkins,  pumpkins!"  which 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  455 

Frederick  Onslow  had  been  at  some  pains  to  teach 
him  that  very  morning. 

"  I  should  have  thought,"  said  Captain  Spencer, 
"  after  the  first  pangs  were  over,  that,  with  your 
establishment,  and  the  extent  of  settlement  and 
cultivation  around  you,  you  were  not  in  danger 
from  an  attack  of  natives."  "Nor  do  I  think  we 
are,"  said  Mr.  Onslow  ;  "  but  this  I  do  think,  that, 
on  the  very  outskirts,  our  colonists  are  not  suffi- 
ciently careful ;  it  is  difficult,  however,  to  divest 
ourselves  of  old  habits  and  feelings.  I  did  not 
doubt  last  night  that  the  noise  w^as  occasioned  by 
natives ;  it  was  my  boys  who  imagined  bush-ran- 
gers, because  they  are  often  hearing  of  their  ex- 
ploits. I  must  now  tell  you  an  instance  of  Mrs. 
Onslow's  courage,  as  a  reward  to  her  for  so  much 
teasing  about  her  garden.  I  was  at  Sidney  at  the 
time,  and  it  was  during  our  first  establishment  on 
our  land,  so  that  we  had  no  neighbours  to  help  us, 
no  resources  but  in  ourselves,  and  scarcely  any  de- 
fence. It  seemed  that  some  of  the  natives  had 
been  ill-treated,  or  fancied  they  had  been  ill-treated, 
by  some  soldiers  and  constables  the  day  before ; 
and  their  tribe,  to  the  number  of  400,  assembled, 
and  cnm.e  to  revenge  themselves  upon  us.  They 
were  all  fully  armed  after  their  own  fasliion,  and 
we  had  only  foui--  guns  and  a  pistol,  which,  how- 
ever, wvvv  prepared  for  action.  As  soon  as  they 
came  to   t!ie   house,  my  brave  little  wife  went  to 


456  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

them,  by  herself,  inquired  into  their  grievances, 
soothed  them  with  kind  words,  and  gave  them  to- 
bacco and  corn  ;  she,  however,  told  them  that  there 
were  people  inside  the  house,  who  would  shoot  them 
if  they  committed  any  violence.  Surprising  Jo 
say,  this  kind  but  dauntless  conduct  on  her  part 
produced  the  most  favourable  results,  for  they 
went  away,  only  taking  with  them  what  she  had 
given,  and  some  articles  of  clothing,  which  they 
had  found  in  the  men's  huts  when  they  ransacked 
them.  Our  overseer  went  among  them,  after  her 
first  address  and  reception,  as  in  fact,  did  the 
whole  family,  and  as  our  people  gradually  assem- 
bled round  Mrs.  Onslow,  they  all  endeavored  to 
make  friends  with  the  enemy,  and  behaved  very 
well,  so  that  we  did  not  suffer  much ;  but  I  attri- 
bute our  preservation  (of  course  under  Providence) 
entirely  to  Mrs.  Onslow's  conduct,  for  frightful 
murder  and  outrages  were  committed  by  them 
\7ithin  thirty  miles  of  us  lower  down  the  river," 

^ho  magnificent  entrance  to  Port  Jackson,  and 
the  beautiful  appearance  of  Sydney,  one  of  the 
fairest  cities  of  the  earth,  struck  Captain  Spencer 
AS  the  finest  scene  which  he  had  beheld  in  Austra- 
lia ;  and  the  more  so,  considering  that,  only  fifty 
years  ago,  the  native  inhabitants  performed  their 
savage  dances  under  the  trees  on  its  site.  The 
two  dark,  lofty  rocks,  which  seem  to  form  the  gates 
of  the  harbour,  were  passed ;  a  noble  estuary  pre- 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  457 

Bented  itself,  decked  with  the  loveliest  bays,  inlets, 
islands,  villas,  cottages,  and  gardens,  and  the  sil- 
very sand  of  the  beach  formed  a  glittering  border. 
Captain  Spencer  at  once  proceeded  to  the  princi- 
pal hotel,  where,  sending  for  a  tailor,  the  adorn- 
ment of  the  outer  man  was  speedily  accomplished  ; 
then  came  presentation  to  the  Governor,  introduc- 
tions, calls,  and  fetes ;  and  all  the  ceremonies  and 
usages  of  polite  life,  with  the  hospitality  of  the 
colonies,  were  put  in  practice  for  one  who  was 
naturally  the  hero  of  the  day.  But  this  hero  soon 
became  tired  of  the  gaiety  which  he  was  obliged 
to  share  ;  and  although  grateful  for  kindness  and 
attention,  he  was  weary  of  long,  dusty  George 
street,  of  luxurious  dinners  which  he  could  not  eat, 
and  of  hot  rooms  where  he  thought  he  could  not 
breathe,  and  every  hour  increased  his  impatience 
to  depart.  Tiger  was  well  housed,  and  Kinchela 
was  constantly  with  him,  for  his  countrymen  claimed 
him,  and  he  did  not  covet  their  society  ;  the  white 
servants  laughed  at  and  jeered  him,  and  Tiger  was 
his  best  companion  in  the  absence  of  his  master. 
Gip  was  of  course  often  left  behind,  and  her  con- 
solation was  to  lie  upon  her  master's  cloak.  Aa 
to  Charlie,  he,  every  morning,  very  cleverly  flew 
off,  and  returned  at  night  to  Tiger  ;  and,  one  day, 
when  Captain  Spenf.fir  was  ridint^  thronp-li  tho 
flyde  Park  of  Sydney  with  some  gentlemen,  one. 
of  the  latter  exclaimed,  "  Is  that  you,  Captain 
30 


458  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

Spencer,  whose  name  is  so  vociferously  called  by 
a  strange  voice  ?  it  is  probably  one  of  your  frienda 
from  tlie  bush."  The  traveller  listened,  and  looked 
round,  and  presently,  "Ned  Spencer,  Ned  Spen- 
cer !  here's  Charlie,  Ned  Spencer  !"  met  his  ear. 
lie  whistled  in  the  usual  manner,  and  Charlie  flew 
on  to  his  shoulder  with  every  mark  of  delight. 
"  I  could  not  think  where  the  poor  fellow  went  to 
every  day,"  said  he  ;  "but  I  was  easy  about  him, 
as  he  came  back  every  evening."  "All's  right, 
hurrah !"  said  the  bird,  and  flew  away.  "I  would 
give  100  guineas  for  that  bird,"  said  one  of  the 
gentlemen.  "I  would  not  take  500  for  him,"  ob- 
served his  master  ;  "  his  voice,  day  after  day,  was 
the  only  sound  which  cheered  me  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  I  can  never  part  with  him."  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  Charlie  was  a  marked  bird  among 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Sydney,  and  was  conse- 
quently safe  from  harm  as  he  flew  backwards  and 
forwards  to  and  from  the  hotel. 

On  one  occasion,  when  some  ladies  called  in 
their  carriage  to  take  Captain  Spencer  to  the  race- 
course between  Sydney  and  Botany  Bay,  as  he 
was  *bout  to  get  in,  something  touched  his  shoul- 
der, and  there  stood  Tiger,  preparing  to  go  with 
him,  with  Charlie  on  his  back,  and  Gip  was  uncere- 
moniously running  up  the  steps  of  the  carriage, 
Ti;ey  had   all   .nade   their  escape,  and  of  course, 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  459 

thought  they  could  not  do  wrong  by  accompanying 
their  master. 

The  ladies  were  so  pleased,  that  they  entreated 
the  horse  and  bird  might  be  suffered  to  accompany 
them,  and  Gip  was  received  into  the  carriage. 
Kinchela  was  mounted  in  the  rumble,  to  his  infi- 
nite enjoyment ;  and  from  that  moment  the  whole 
party  was  included  in  all  the  invitations  where 
they  could  be  admitted,  no  pic-nic  taking  Dlace 
without  Charlie. 

Captain  Spencer  passed  several  gangs  of  con- 
victs at  work,  and  he  scarcely  dared  to  look  at 
them,  for  fear  he  should  see  Harry  Blunt  among 
their  number ;  but  ii  was  not  there  he  found  him. 
On  returning  to  his  hotel  one  day,  he  saw  a  crowd 
at  a  distance,  and,  on  going  through  it,  heard  that 
the  famous  bush-ranger,  Harry  Blunt,  who  had  so 
long  eluded  pursuit,  was  at  last  taken,  and  brought 
in  by  the  police.  Harry  was  committed  to  prison, 
where  his  friend  visited  him,  and  heard  that  an 
engagement  had  taken  place  between  him,  his  com- 
panion, and  the  parties  sent  out  after  them,  ir- 
which  he,  seeing  no  chance  of  escape,  had  surrer- 
dered  without  further  resistanCv..  The  more  Cap 
tain  Spencer  saw  of  this  erring  man,  the  more  did 
he  hope  for  his  reformation  ;  he  expressed  himseii' 
as  if  he  were  sincerely  penitent,  and  Captain  Spen- 
cer made  use  of  all  the  influence  which  he  pes- 
Bessed  for  the  mitigation  of   his  sentence.      Lie 


460  AUSTRALIAN     WANDEUERS. 

related  to  the  proper  authorities  all  that  he  kiie'»» 
of  hiDi,  employed  counsel  for  him,  and  Richard- 
son's letter  being  read  in  court  produced  a  favour- 
able impression. 

The  working  in  chains  was  thus  commuted  for 
imprisonment,  which  his  friend  thought  would  be 
almost  as  irksome  to  bear,  and  he  obtained  a  miti- 
gation of  its  length.  To  his  surprise,  however, 
Harry  expressed  a  firm  determination  to  bear  his 
punishment  patiently,  saying  "it  was  the  least 
he  could  do  after  such  kind  exertions  had  been 
made  for  him." 

Captain  Spencer  entreated  that  the  strenuous 
efforts  of  the  chaplain  of  the  jail  might  be  used 
on  his  behaJf,  and  this  gentleman  was  so  pleased 
with  the  conduct  and  improvement  of  the  convict, 
that  when,  on  goin^-  out  of  prison,  Mr.  Onslow 
offered  to  take  him  into  his  service,  he  gave  him 
his  best  commendations,  so  that  it  was  an  inexpres- 
sible source  of  happiness  to  the  Australian  travel- 
ler, to  think,  when  his  friend  wrote  him,  that 
iiarry  Blunt  was  a  faithful  and  attached  servant, 
that  he  had  been  allowed  to  act  as  an  instrument 
'n  saving  a  follow-creature  from  perdition. 

Presents  were  sent  to  Mr.  St.  John,  Richardson, 
the  Scotts,  the  Onslows,  and  even  the  stock-keep- 
ers at  the  out-stations,  so  that  none  could  imagine 
themselves  to  be  forgotten ;  and  Captain  Spencer 
embarked  on  board  the  Asia  with  mingled  feelings 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.  461 

of  regret  and  pleasure,  each  of  which  were  sur- 
mounted by  gratitude.  Kinchehi,  Gip,  and  Tiger, 
were  very  happy  on  board  ship,  and  Charlie  had 
the  sagacity  not  to  attempt  to  roam  during  the 
voyage. 

"  Have  you  heard  the  news  ?  Spencer  is  come 
back,  better  than  ever  he  was,  with  his  horse,  dog, 
and  such  a  bird  ;"  were  the  exclamations  of  all  who 
had  known  him  in  Bombay,  directly  after  he  had 
reported  his  arrival.  Hearty  greetings  saluted 
him  on  all  sides,  and  he  seemed  to  live  in  a  whirl 
of  pleasure  and  excitement.  Great  was  the  aston- 
ishment felt  at  his  adventures  and  sufferings,  and 
honourable  were  the  distinctions  with  which  he 
was  received  in  society.  He,  however,  joined  his 
regiment  as  speedily  as  possible,  where,  among  old 
and  dear  friends,  he  could  calmly  consider  and 
talk  over  the  past,  and  as  often  as  he  did  so,  he 
became  more  and  more  impressed  with  gratitude 
and  submission  towards  his  Heavenly  Protector. 


As  frequent  a  correspondence  as  opportunities 
would  allow,  was  carried  on  between  Captain  Spen- 
cer and  his  highly  valued  friends  the  Onslows  ;  and 
during  a  period  of  two  years,  no  event  of  import 
ance  occurred,  except  the  marriage  of  Mr.  St. 
John  with  Miss  Onslow,  and  their  subsequent 
settlement  on  a  farm  within  a  day's  ride  of  her 
39* 


462  AUSTRALIAN    WANDEREKS. 

parents.     Then  came  a  letter  from   Mr.  George 
Onslow,  couched  in  the  following  terms : — 

My  dear  Spencer, 

All  our  endeavours  to  tempt  you  to  come 
and  settle  among  us  have  signally  failed,  and  1 
grant  you  that  your  reasons  are  cogent ;  therefore 
do  not  suppose  that  the  present  epistle  is  intended 
as  a  renewal  of  our  efforts.  I  merely  lay  the  cir- 
cumstances before  you  ;  and  when  you  have  weighed 
them  all,  your  own  right  feeling  and  good  sense 
will  enable  you  to  determine  the  course  you  ought 
to  pursue. 

It  is  some  time  since  I  last  wrote,  owing  to  the 
great  difficulty  I  have  found  in  procuring  a  con- 
veyance for  my  despatches  ;  and  perhaps  it  is  well 
it  should  have  been  so,  for  by  the  delay  I  can  no^ 
put  you  in  full  possession  of  an  important  disco- 
very, which,  although  taking  place  in  the  farthest 
retreat  of  civilization,  bids  fair  to  influence  the 
whole  world.  It  is  neither  more  nor  less  than 
that  of  finding  prodigious  quantities  of  gold  in  our 
soil,  which  far  exceed  the  amount  yielded  by  Cali- 
fornia, tidings  of  which  have  of  course  reached  you 
through  the  newspapers. 

To  begin  at  the  beginning.  It  seems  that  the 
great  geologist.  Sir  Roderick  Murchison,  when  he 
examined  the  specimens  of  rocks,  and  heard  the 
a'^oants  of  the  eminent  traveller.  Count   Strze- 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  46^1 

lecki,  was  struck  with  the  resemblance  of  the  for< 
mer  to  those  of  the  Ural  mountains,  which  you 
know  supply  Russia  with  gold  ;  and  he  then  fore- 
told that  we  should,  sooner  or  later,  meet  with  thn 
precious  metal  in  our  territory.  Still  no  sea.rch 
was  made.  Now  it  is  known  that  an  old  shepherd 
actually  brought  several  pieces  of  gold  for  sale  at 
Sydney,  and  on  being  questioned  as  to  where  he 
had  procured  them  refused  to  give  any  information. 
Strange  to  say,  that  although  it  was  known  he 
came  from  the  district  of  Bathurst,  no  one  followed 
to  see  from  what  spot  he  dug  the  treasure ;  in 
fact,  no  pains  were  taken  to  profit  by  his  discovery. 
At  last,  a  Mr.  Hargreaves  returned  from  Cali- 
fornia, with  nothing  but  experience  in  gold-finding 
as  the  result  of  his  visit  to  those  regions.  He 
appKed  his  knowledge  to  Bathurst  and  Wellington, 
and  after  riding  over  some  hundi'eds  of  miles,  he 
gave  tidings  of  a  rich  harvest  of  gold  in  the  Crowi. 
lands.  He  made  arrangements  with  the  Govern- 
ment, went  to  Bathurst,  assembled  the  principal 
inhabitants  of  that  place  at  an  inn,  showed  them 
four  ounces  of  gold  which  he  had  procured  after 
three  days'  labour,  and  succeeded  in  awakening 
them  to  a  search  for  more.  From  that  time  the 
golden  mania  has  been  raging,  and  weekly  increas- 
ing in  strength ;  the  emigration  from  the  British 
empire,  which  had  languished,  is  now  beginning  to 
flow  again,  and  hundreds  have  arrived,  and  still 


i64         AUSTRALIAN      W  A  N  D  E  K  E  1\  B . 

come ;  our  new  towns  have  been  in  a  measure  de- 
serted, and  two  thousand  persons  were  in  one  week 
known  to  go  to  Bathurst,  consisting  of  all  classes, 
and  various  ages.  I  can  scarcely  describe  to  you 
the  condition  to  which  some  of  the  settlements 
have  been  reduced  ;  respectable  clerks  have  thrown 
up  valuable  situations,  even  men  of  substance  have 
not  disdained  the  enterprise,  apprentices  have  bro- 
ken their  indentures,  tillage  has  been  neglected, 
not  even  seed  sown  for  future  crops,  buildings  sus- 
pended, sheep  have  wandered  about  without  shep- 
herds, and  in  Adelaide  the  famous  copper-mines 
have  stopped  working  for  want  of  miners. 

You  will  readily  suppose  that  such  a  sudden 
change  in  everything,  such  a  sudden  rupture  of 
the  bonds  which  link  society  together,  have  pro- 
duced strange  results,  and  laid  the  foundation  for 
much  after  inconvenience,  if  not  suffering.  The 
regular  supplies  derived  from  our  crops  must  fail, 
the  prices  of  most  things  will  be  raised,  our  exports 
stopped,  our  flocks  and  herds  will  have  irrecoverably 
strayed,  it  will  be  difficult  to  reduce  the  enormous 
wages  given  to  those  who  have  remained  faithful 
to  their  duties,  and  the  fair,  the  refined,  and  the 
delicate  have  been,  and  may  be  again,  forced  to 
perform  those  offices  for  which  they  are  unfitted 
by  health  or  education.  These  seem  to  me  quite 
enough  to  think  of,  without  troubling  myself  with 
the  financial  changes  which  such  an  influx  of  gold 


AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS.        465 

may  occasion  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Various 
are  the  surmises  and  speculations  on  this  head-, 
but  who  can  tell  ? 

As  these  mountain  ridges  which  contain  g'^la 
generally  assume  a  meridional  direction,  fresh  '^:^- 
plorations  took  place  to  the  south,  and  now  still 
more  prolific  deposits  are  found  in  the  province  of 
Victoria.  A  native  shepherd  in  the  service  of  Dr 
Kerr,  at  Louisa  Creek,  fifty  miles  from  Bathurst, 
stumbled  upon  a  spot  which  yielded  4240^.  ster- 
ling to  his  master.  A  party  of  diggers,  six  in 
number,  procured  900/.  worth  in  one  day.  One 
man,  seeing  his  neighbour  about  to  wash  a  tin  dish- 
ful of  slate-coloured  clay,  at  a  venture  ofiered  50L 
for  it,  the  possessor  asked  151.,  this  was  refused; 
and  the  owner  had  reason  to  rejoice,  for  it  yielded 
1001.  The  value  of  350?.  was  dug  up  in  a  few 
hours,  from  earth  which  had  lodged  round  the  root 
of  a  tree.  A  blacksmith,  in  one  hole,  found  the 
worth  of  440?. ;  and  a  poor  man  met  with  81bs.  of 
gold  in  one  spot,  after  the  labour  of  only  a  few 
minutes,  which  he  compared  to  digging  potatoes. 
All  these  occurred  in  the  Sydney  deposits.  At 
Mount  Alexander,  in  Victoria  province,  a  party  of 
four  men  from  Adelaide,  after  working  for  a  few 
days,  returned  home  with  11,600?. 

I  will  not  weary  you  with  further  statements  of 
success,  nor  will  I  trouble  you  with  the  losses, 
which  appear   but  trifling   in   comparison ;    such 


4:06  AUSTRALIAN     WANDERERS. 

lo^bes  are,  however,  not  rare.  Government  has 
assumed  the  conduct  of  these  diggings,  and  each 
person  must  take  out  a  license,  which  costs  11.  10s. 
p3r  month,  and  which  entitles  the  holder  to  appro- 
priate the  produce  of  a  certain  portion  of  land, 
called  a  '  claim.'  These  claims  not  unfrequently 
curn  out  to  be  wholly  destitute  of  gold,  and  the 
Darties  do  not  even  repay  their  expenses.  These 
uncertainties  are  easily  explained  by  the  suppo- 
sition that  quartz  is  the  matrix  of  the  gold  ;  this 
has  been  broken  or  disturbed  by  some  great  con- 
vulsion, and  the  shattered  fragments  are  rolled 
from  their  original  bed ;  sometimes  arrested  by  an 
insignificant  obstacle,  and  accumulating,  and  at 
others  passing  over,  and  leaving  the  course  bare. 
This  theory  also  accounts  for  the  presence  of  the 
metal  in  other  formations,  such  as  blue  clay  and 
clay  slate ;  and  the  fissures  of  slaty  rocks  have 
presented  most  lumps  or  nuggets  (as  they  are 
called),  they  having,  as  it  were,  caught  the  quartz 
as  it  has  rolled  along.  It  is  asserted  that  in  Ar- 
gyle,  granite  is  the  matrix,  and  thus  stones  con- 
taining gold  have  been  applied  to  the  building  of 
bridges,  and  used  for  pavements.  Does  not  this 
remind  you  of  the  stories  told  in  former  times  of 
the  streets  of  Timbuctoo  being  paved  with  silver  ? 
Stories  which  we  can  now  beat,  without  exaggera- 
t:on,  by  the  assertion,  that  Bathurst  is  paved  with 
u.'ld. 


AUSTRALIAN    '^/i^rr^ERERS.  467 

After  long  exemption,  at  length  Fi\d  and  1 
were  seized  with  the  universal  fever  ;  but  when  we 
owned  its  influence  to  my  father,  he  shook  his 
head,  and  as  our  men  stole  off  to  the  diggings,  we 
felt  it  would  be  very  hard  upon  him  to  deprive  him 
of  Qur  help.  At  length  St.  John  came,  fully  de- 
termined on  tempting  us  to  join  him  in  an  excur- 
sion to  the  diggings.  Mary  came  with  him,  to 
remain  with  our  father  and  mother  during  our  ab- 
sence ;  it  was  not  a  busy  time  just  then^  and  at 
length  the  project  received  approbation.  We  per- 
suaded our  neighbour,  young  Montague,  to  com- 
plete the  number  of  four,  which  is  sai  \  to  form  the 
most  convenient  party ;  and  promising  high  wages 
to  two  of  the  men  who  had  remained  with  us,  we 
first  started  for  Sydney.  At  one  time  we  wished 
to  have  Harry  Blunt  with  us,  but  he  wisely  pre 
ferred  staying  to  take  care  of  the  farm  ;  saying, 
that  a  love  of  gain  had  once  led  him  into  evil,  and 
he  would  never  put  himself  in  the  way  of  tempta- 
tion any  more. 

At  Sydney,  we  bought  the  rough  dresses  which 
were  to  stand  the  water  and  hard  labour,  which  we 
knew  we  had  to  encounter  ;  we  provided  ourselves 
with  a  tilted  cart,  which  held  us  all,  and  to  which 
we  harnessed  two  horses  from  the  farm.  We  had. 
pick-axes,  spades,  buckets,  tubs,  files,  wedges, 
scales  and  weights,  tin  dishes  and  cradles.  We 
did  not  forget  our  mattresses,  plenty  of  thick  blan- 


it)<3         AUSTRALIAN     AVANDERERS. 

Iiets,  a  tent,  cooking  apparatus,  and  a  stock  of 
provisions  carefully  selected  by  my  mother  and 
Ma-y.  We  arrived  in  safety,  left  the  care  of  our 
property  and  the  cooking  to  the  men,  and  helped 
each  other  to  dig,  to  wash,  to  rock  the  cradles,  &c. 
It  was  even  rougher  work  than  any  we  had  hith- 
erto encountered,  for  there  must  be  no  relaxation, 
and  no  shrinking  from  wet  garments. 

I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you,  that  we  took  Lion, 
the  mastiff,  with  us ;  and  the  dear  old  dog  was  one 
of  our  most  useful  auxiliaries.  When  a  suspicious 
character  approached  the  tent,  he  gave  the  alarm, 
and  as  we  were  well  armed  and  slept  lightly,  it  was 
scarcely  possible  to  take  us  by  surprise. 

It  was  a  curious  sight  to  see  so  many  hundred 
tents  together,  looking  more  like  a  vast  fair  than 
a  military  encampment ;  and  from  the  number  of 
those  who  had  preceded  us,  it  was  difficult  to  choose 
our  claims,  or  establish  our  temporary  dwelling. 
We  exerted  all  our  thought  and  skill,  and  being  a 
party  of  brothers,  as  it  were,  our  experiment  turned 
out  well ;  for  in  six  weeks  we,  between  us,  realized 
15,000^,,  beside  some  extra  gains,  (which  we  gave 
to  our  men  for  their  faithful  conduct  to  us,)  and 
the  selling  of  our  claims  Avhen  we  left  the  ground. 
We  every  week  sent  our  gold  by  the  armed  escort 
j)rovided  by  the  government,  to  Sydney ;  so  that 
we  nei'er  had  any  great  accumulation  by  us,  and 


AUSTRALIAN  WANDEKERS.    469 

thus  we  did  not  know  how  much  we  had  realized 
till  we  returned  to  the  capital. 

It  was  not  a  life  that  tempted  us  to  remain  long, 
and  we  were  glad  to  return  to  our  homes.  St. 
John  and  Montague,  being  lately  settled,  find  their 
portions  advantageous  to  their  farms  and  stock. 
Fred's  has  enabled  him  to  become  independent, 
and  mine  is  thrown  into  the  common  purse  between 
me  and  mj  father. 

You  will  probably  think  that  I  kave  given  you 
too  favourable  an  idea  of  the  scenes  which  we  wit- 
nessed, and  of  the  hardships  which  we  encountered. 
With  regard  to  the  latter,  it  must  be  recollected, 
that  they  came  lighter  to  us  as  settlers,  than  to 
those  who  pass  their  lives  at  the  desk,  or  in  pro- 
fessional employments.  The  health  of  many  gave 
way  under  the  toil  and  exposure,  and  probably 
many  will,  all  the  rest  of  their  days,  feel  tlie  ef- 
fects of  their  exertions  and.exposure.  With  re-  ■ 
spect  to  the  former,  the  day  was  quite  enough,  for 
most  of  those  present  were  devoted  to  their  all- 
absorbing  occupation  ;  but  at  night,  the  return  of 
so  many  lawless  characters  to  the  camp,  of  neces- 
sity produced  some  frightful  scenes.  Such  a  din 
of  firing  guns,  shoutings,  frightful  oaths,  drunken 
quarrels,  and  barkings  of  dogs  !  Robberies  are 
frequent,  and  murders  are  sometimes  committed  ; 
and  it  requires  incessant  Avatching  to  retain  youi 
horses  and  other  property.  Still  all  these  are 
40 


470     AUSTRALIAN  WANDEKEA^. 

nothing  to  the  horrors  which  we  hear  of  in  Cali- 
fornia ;  and  as  police  and  military  force  are  being 
established,  still  greater  order  will  prevail.  One 
thing  struck  us  very  forcibly,  which  was  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath ;  and  perhaps  this,  as  well  as 
some  forbearance  from  evil,  may  be  ascribed  to 
the  sprinkling  of  gentlemen  who  come  to  share  th-e 
chances  of  the  rest.  It  is  true  that  such  enter- 
prises are  great  levellers  of  caste ;  nevertheless, 
superiority  of  mind,  morals,  and  acquirement,  must 
exercise  an  influonce  wherever  it  may  abide. 

There  is  an  abundant  attendance  of  those  who 
seek  to  gair  a  more  certain  profit  by  the  exercise 
of  different  callings  necessary  to  the  wants  of  such 
a  multitude ;  and  they  do  not  fail  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  necessity  which  arises  for  their  labours. 
The  charges  for  washing  are  enormous ;  a  trifling 
derangement  of  your  tools,  or  damage  to  your 
cart,  caHnct  be  remedied  without  incurring  heavy 
expense,  and  you  are  forced  to  submit  to  the  most 
extortionate  demands.  Provisions  arc  decidedly 
cheap.  I  have  not  yet  described  the  cradle,  which 
is  so  named  on  account  of  its  resemblance  to  that 
accompaniment  of  childhood,  in  its  outward  form. 
A  square  box  is  fitted  into  its  head,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  is  a  sheet  of  iron,  pierced  with  holes  the 
diameter  of  my  little  finger,  like  a  sieve.  Across 
the  bottom  of  the  cradle  are  three  thick  iron  bars, 
one  of  which  is  placed  at  the  lower  end,  and  the 


AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS.  kVI 

ether  two  divide  the  cradle  into  three  equal  parts. 
An  upright  bar  of  wood  fixed  on  one  side  forms  the 
handle,  and  by  means  of  this  one  person  violently 
rocks  the  machine  with  his  left  hand,  while  thj 
right,  with  a  stick,  stirs  or  baats  the  soil  put  int: 
the  iron  sieve.  A  second  person  dashes  w.tei 
upon  it.  The  cradle  is  put  in  a  slanting  positi-.': 
in  which  the  sieve  is  the  highest ;  the  particles  of 
gold  f^iU  to  the  bottom,  where  thej  are  arrested 
by  the  bars,  and  the  muddy  water  runs  off  at  the 
foot.  This  gold  is  afterwards  put  into  the  tin  dish 
which  I  have  already  mentioned,  and  carefully 
separated  from  the  pieces  of  iron  stone,  and  other 
heavy  substances,  hj  further  washing. 

If  you  will  join  us.  dear  Spencer,  we  will  make 
a  second  expedition,  and  turn  our  steps  towards 
the  Victoria  diggings.  It  is  true  that  the  disor- 
ganization of  Melbourne  is  beyond  my  powers  to 
describe,  if  all  be  true  that  we  hear.  Robberies 
are  committed  in  the  streets  by  daylight,  and 
nothing  but  superior  force  is  an  efficient  protection. 
You,  however,  are  not  one  to  shrink  from  hardship 
or  danger ;  come  then  and  make  your  fortune. 

My  father  and  Fred  write  you  all  family  news, 
and  therefore  I  have  now  only  to  subsc.nbe  myself 
your  faithful  friend,  George  Onslow. 

Captain  Spencer  wisely  thought  it  very  possible 
that  he  might  mar,  instead  of  make  his  fortune  by 


472  AUSTRALIAN    WANDERERS. 

going  to  the  diggings,  and  declined  the  above  in- 
vitation, remaining  perfectly  satisfied  vrith  the 
majority  which  he  had  just  attained.  The  great 
extension  of  steamboat  navigation  soon,  however, 
enabled  him  to  have  more  frequent  intercourse 
with  his  friends,  and  to  be  a  personal  witness  of 
their  prosperity. 


THE   END. 


List  of   Books  Recently  Published 

BY 

LEE  &  SHEFAED, 

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EUROPEAN  TRAVEL. 


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AN  AMERICAN  WOMAN  IN  EUROPE.    Thejournalof  two 

weeks'  sojourn  in   France,   Switzerland,  Italy,   and  Ger- 
many.    By  Mrs.  S-  R.  Urbino,  author  of  "  The  Princes, 
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THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES. 

IN    SIX    VOLUMES. 
BY     OLIVER     OPTIC. 


I. 
THE    ©OIL.r>IER,    BOY; 

Or,    Tom    Soiners    in.    the    -A-rmy. 

II. 
THE    ©A.I3L.OR    I50Y; 

Or,    Jack    Somers    in    the    iN"avy. 

III. 
THE    YOUIVG    L.IEXJTENj\.1VT  ; 

Or,    The    -A-dventures    oF  aia    .A.rm.y    Officer. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE   SOLDIER  BOY." 
IV. 

TH:E   YA^IVIiEE    m:ii>dy; 

Or,    The    A-dventur-es    of  a    N'aval    Ofiioer. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE  SAILOR   BOY." 
V. 

FIOHTIIVO    JOE; 

Or,    The    Fortunes    of  a    Staff- Officer. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE  YOUNG  LIEUTENANT." 
VI. 

I5X1.WE    OEr>    SA.T^T; 

Or,    Ijife    on.    the    Quarter -Decit. 

A  SEQUEL   TO  "THE  YANKEE  MIDDY." 


TTTF  ITBKART 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


^  MY 
DEC  17  1984 


orm  L9 — 15m-10,'48(Bl03y)444 

this  series,  which  contains  Adventures  by  Sea 
and  Land,  Manly  Sports  of  England,  Boy 
Life  in  English  Schools,  Fairy  Tales  and 
Legeads,  — all  handsomely  Olustrated. 


"I 


LEE  ft  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


the  prairies.  We  are  pleased  to  notice,  that 
in  the  new  series  of  Frontier  Tales,  by  Lee 
&  Sliepard.  there  is  an  agreeable  absence  of 
sensational  writing,  of  that  maudlin  senti 
mentality  which  make  the  generality  of  such 
tales  nauseous."  —  Standard.  ; 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


y     MISS  LOUISE  M.  Thurston's 

CHARLEY  ROBERTS  SERIES. 


3  1158  00997  7017 


To  be  CO 


VAC 

Si] 


m 

4879 
L505a 


rated.     Per  volume,  $i. 

e   Rope. 

js's    Favorite, 
of  the  DasJia- 

Spaniard. 
Dick, 
of  Oxbo-w. 

'  is  the  vom  de  phtme  of  an 
le  young  folks  who  pifsevseefl 
iihilitv,  and  has  a  thorough 
way  to  interest  cliiMren.'*  — 

of  tiiese  books  exeeedingrly, 
nd  it  to  the  notice  of  Sabbath 
Ladies'  Repo&itory. 

'ARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


The  Great  Rosy  Diamond. 
Daisy,  or  The  Fairy  Spectacles. 
Violet,  a  Fairy  Story. 
Minnie,  or  The  Little  "Woman. 
The  Angel  Childien. 
Little  Blossom's  Keward. 

These  are  deliRhtfid  works  for  chiUlren.  Thej 
are  all  very  popular,  and  have  had  a  wi<ie  circula- 
tion. They  are  now  presented  in  a  new  dress. 
The  stories  are  all  amusing  and  instructive,  ex- 
hibiting human  nature  in  cliildren,  and  teaching 

suuie  very  iiuportant  practical  lessons. 

a         LEE  St,  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Bostoii. 


ig  anD  Instrucfifac." 

/ERB   SERIES. 

C.  Bradi-ey  and  Msss 
K  J.  Neelv. 

[llust     Per  vol.,  $i. 

a,ther. 

3  do  ISot  make  Fine 

;bat  Handsome  does, 
nfeased   is   half  Ke- 

Actions  speak  louder  than  "Words. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


wni  ne  rean  uv  ik-i.-.voo  oi  mi  orco  mi...  u^k 
interest,  and  afford  instructive  and  entertaining 
conversation  with  the  children."— S.  S.  JouriMl. 

L£L  &  SHEPARD,   Publishers,  Boston. 


m^%i 


,, . 


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